Bridge Teas too Elaborate

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 921, 14 March 1930, Page 1

Bridge Teas too Elaborate

“Back to Simplicity ” says Auckland Hostess WOMEN OF COURAGE When grandma entertained at afternoon tea she ctrt some delicateiy thin bread and butter and made a few plain cakes with her own fair hands. That was considered qoiite sufficient and was enjoyed by her visitors even if bridge was not the prevailing craze in those simple days. Are afternoon teas at bridge parties too elaborate today? “Yes,” says the combined voices ot Auckland hostesses. There were one or two dissenting voices, of course. Only a woman of courage could have stated publicly that social entertainment was becoming far too elaborate and costly nowadays, but it has been said. . , Yesterday afternoon at a large bridge party given at the Ellerslie Racecourse to raise funds for the PHinket Society, ’ Mrs. W. H. Parkes put forward a plea for a return to more simple fare at afternoon tea. The suggestion, she said, had come from Mrs. A. St. Clair Brown, but from inquiries made from many of the leading hostesses of Auckland this morning many of them had thought long and often about a return to more homely fare during the respite from bridge- _ _ FEAST OF FOOD

Mrs. Parkes spoke of the feast of food —cream puffs, savouries, elaborate cakes which sometimes proved too attractive. Tea was frequently followed by digestive disturbances and perhaps regret. Almost without exception. Auckland hostesses praised Mrs. Parkes for her courage in saying what they themselves would never have dared to saj . Not all. however. “If people care to give elaborate afternoon teas it is their own affair.” said a voice over the telephone this morning. “Personally I think a hostess should please herself what she does when she is entertaining.” One telephone which ends out Remuera way almost sizzled when a

Sun reporter requested the voice at the other end to give him her idea of a simple afternoon tea. “It is a positive labour to enter- * tain these days.” stoutly declared one hostess. “The competition is frightful. Each woman wants to go one better.” “They are not teas—they are banquets,” commented another bridge player. “I quite approve of what Mrs. Parkes said yesterday.” Afternoon tea should consist of bread and butter and plain cakes or sandwiches and plain cakes, according to the hostesses who were telephoned this morning- Naturally they did not want their names mentioned. “TOO EXTRAVAGANT” “We have become too extravagant altogether during the past few years. Personally I’ve never altered my idea of afternoon tea,” remarked one hostess. “I’ve always had quite simple food. I’m very glad Mrs. Parkes spoke out about it.”

Already there has been some fluttering in bridge realms. Perhaps subtle little, schemes are being prepared for simple afternoon teas which will astonish even the advocates of simplicity.

But behind the remarks made yesterday there is a very serious intention on the part of many of Auckland’s women bridge players. Mrs. Parkes mentioned that entertaining at afternoon tea had become a problem for many hostesses of moderate means. There was also the unnecessary waste of money on elaborate food when so many deserving charitable causes needed assistance.

“Quite a number of women think that we are spending far too much on unnecessary entertainment,” commented one hostess. “Particularly when there is so much poverty and unemployment in the country. “We hope to form a committee later on to see what can be done about the whole thing- We think that more money should be devoted to charity and less to elaborate afternoon teas. It is not a question of sending 5s o. week to any charity. We propose that people give whatever they like and to any charity they choose. So far the whole scheme is in the air.”