PAYING GUESTS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Issue 2, 12 April 1940, Page 2

PAYING GUESTS

ADOPTED BY SOCIAL HOSTESSES Perhaps the mast revolutionary change the war has made in London social life, is that one well known Belgravian hostess has adopted the plan of giving dinner parties at which the guests pay for the meal, writes the London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian. At the end of the dinner a title account is handed by the servant to each guest for the wines and liquor consumed, and each guest subscribes three shillings and sixpence for the dinner. It is said to be an excellent meal, and the company is visually interesting and bright, including several members of Parliament. The diners do not need to dress, and can return to their duties in the House as they please., but most of the people stay for a talk or bridge. The example ot this hostess, a lady of title, is being followed by several others and it seems to fill a war time want when few hostesses can afford to entertain as they would like to do., This follows many domestic economies that were started in Mayfair and Belgravia when Ihe war began. Meals were greatly reduced in dimensions, domestic staffs diminishr ed, and in some cases late dinners and servants" suppers abolished and high tea both upstairs and downstairs substituted. In order to save electric light the rule is "eariier to bed" in many houses.