FUN AS USUAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 January 1941, Page 8

FUN AS USUAL

LONDON’S NIGHT LIFE WEEKEND GAIETIES. — RELAXATION in spite OP AIR I RAIDS. i Sometimes 1 think the whole thing is I ~r eal- s y ritcs Paul Bewshcr in 'the i Daily Mail." j mean the wav In ! which the night life of the West End is 1 51111 going on—the way in which a* number of men and women go out for , an evening's fun and relaxation as if nothing unusual were happening. A few night ago 1 went to meet a ! friend at a cocktail club on the first | floor of an old-fashioned building ; about half an hour after the night’s! raid had begun. There was an inces-: sant roar of gunfire, and the great white flashes leaped up again and ‘ again at the end of the small dark I street.

SMARTLY-DRESSED WOMEN

i Sipping iced cocktails at the bar ! were three smartly-dressed women, i and their convetsation. to my astonishment. went like this, to the accompaniment of the clamour of the barrage: "Could I have a look at that powder ; you're using, dear? < Bang-bang-bang.') ■ It s certainly got a nice scent. Can I ■ try it on my hands? (Crash!) Yes. it's I ! a good texture. I like it. Where did ' you get it'.’" 'Boom'. i No reference to the turmoil and up-; I roar nf the gunfire outside . . . only ! one sensible moment of silence when I a sudden long whine was heard out- ' side the widows. t All that may sound very silly—-but I j am not so sure. 1 cannot help admit - - j ing those rather crazy people who go I I out for the evening in the West End : i just as they did in those distant days j of 15 months ago. when all the lights I were dancing and flickering. • OPTIMISM AND CALMNESS. They are frankly gambling—and : gambling in a way that may seem ra- : ther stupid—but I am inclined to think i that they are helping to keep going ■» vital part of London’s life which ■ spreads out an infectious spirit of happy-go-lucky optimism and calm philosophy. Up to a little while ago 1 felt that ; the Government should compel every- ' body to take shelter during an air raid \ —and stop this continuation of night ‘ life which brings people into the street. ■ Now I am far from certain. I have { the greatest sympathy for those people J who go down to the deep tube plat- I forms, where they are absolutely safe. I If I were a poor man with wife and ! child whom I could not send out ofi London. I think I would send them down below to a 100 per cent sure ■ shelter where they had the menial re- j laxaticn of knowing that nothing could , happen to them if they slept.

But these other people who take a chance and relax after a hard day's work, whether m the public bar of a pub. or a dance room, or a fashionable restaurant, do keep the normal life of London running on the surface in an adventurous way which is good for everyone. NIGHT TAXI-DRIVER. 1 know it has affected me. For the first few days of the blitzkrieg I never thought of going out into the black uproar of the street. Then one night I decided to "chance it" and went out with a friend. I remember my surprise when I first walked into a large restaurant and found it almost, full of people laughing and chatting, while a band was playing lively music. I recall, too. my astonishment in going on to a well-known cocktail bar. filled with officers of the services, and their friends, and later having dinner in a restaurant where couples were foxtrotting on the dance floor. Since then I have been out for an evening on many occasions, and each time I find the cafes and restaurants and dance rooms more and more busy and gay. A very large number of the guests are officers on leave, not only of, the British Navy. Air Force and Army. | but of the many Allied forces. It ss the courage of the night taxi- . cab drivers which now enables most; people to have a normal evening out.' knowing that they can gel home at the i end of it. i have always admired the night taxi-drivers of London. I admire i them even more now. They are al! so ; cheerful - and. come to think of st all the people you meet out on these fan- . tastic nights in the Wes! End are cheerf(li_stl cheerful that it makes up .'or i any usk you may run.