SINGER'S WIFE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 23, 27 July 1939, Page 19

SINGER'S WIFE

"A REAL COCKNEY"

TOUR OF AUSTRALIA

Mrs. Peter Dawson, who laughingly describes herself as "a real Cockney,' arrived in Sydney recently with her husband, the well-known 'Australian bass-baritone, who will tour the Commonwealth for Greater Union Theatres, states the "Sydney Morning Herald." '

They were married in London years ago, and since then Mrs. Dawson has been three times to Australia with him—in 1918, 1931, and 1933. She was a singer herself (Annette George), a soprano, and operatic arias were her favourite musical media.

Now, looking after Peter, gardening, cooking, and breeding wire-haired fox terriers occupy all her time. She only sings "for her pals." She was asked if she ever acted as her husband's accompanist. ■ "I knew from the glint in your eye that that was going to be the next question," she said firmly. "Well, I wouldn't accompany him foi £1000, because if anything went wrong tie could curse me, whereas if a stranger does the job, he can't!" HUSBAND'S GIFTS. Mrs. Dawson is proul of her husband's gift for composition, which he started to develop about seven years ago. Already about 16 of his songs have been published, and some of them will be included in his repertoire for th-3 coming tour. She also related that he carries a shanghai (catapult) about with him, and takes pot-shots at seagulls from the cabin porthole aboard ship. American squirrels about the Dawson home in Edgeware, Middlesex, England, are the chief target of the shanghai, since, as Mr. Dawson explained, they are killing off the English squirrels, and are looked upon as "vermin." Lumps of sugar are the marksman's usual "bullets."

Mrs. Dawson's friends are lucky, because when she wants to give them a present she gives them a thoroughbred fox terrier puppy.

"I do this so, that I can see the puppies again. I never sell them and I never enter them in'" shows," she said. "We have two dogs at present—a boy and a girl, Toby and Tess. Peter puts a pipe in Toby's mouth and Toby .trots about the house with it. But we never teach the dogs tricks.

Mr. and Mrs. Dawson are occupying the home of the former's brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William Dawson, at Petersham. Mr. and Mis. William Dawson returned from the United States on June 12.