HISTORIC LONDON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 May 1941, Page 6

HISTORIC LONDON

EXPERIENCES OF ORGANISERS

People who try.lo enlist helpers for various war causes have rather odd experiences at times. Here, for instance, is the true tale of the attempt made by a woman to recruit fire-fighters in a London street. She called at a house and explained to the maid who opened the door that she had called to see whether the occupants of the house would assist in making up a fire-fight-ing squad for their street. The maid looked doubtful. “Well, you see, m'm,” she said, “the mistress is 98.” ' The recruiter gasped and began to say “Of course, no one would wish . • . .” She was interrupted by the maid. “And besides the mistress there’s only me and cook. Cook’s 82 and I’m 70. We were counting up how much that makes us altogether and it's just 250 years.” The recruiter thanked her and retired, reflecting that between them they nearly went back to Pepys and the Fire of London! So far from being summoned as fire-watchers the whole household seemed Io call for some special consideration from the Society for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments.