TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

Radio Record, Volume I, Issue 20, 2 December 1927, Page 6

TO-DAY AND TO-MORROW

@ar First Woman Architect, Alison Sleigh, A.R.I.B.A., was born in Dunedin, but more properly belongs to Christchurch, where she went to school. A clever girl and determinea withal, from early youth she concentrated om a career, and that career architecture, sticking to her guns with tenacity and enthusiasm, and _ facing and overcoming the many difficulties’ that beset the path of the pioneer. After Jeaving school she entered the office of Mr, Hirst-Seager, the well-known Christchurch architect, and on his departure for England worked for a time with Mr. Cecil Wood, another wellkiiown member of the profession. On the advice of Mr. Hirst-Seager, she sibsequently went Home, where she geceived a sound grounding in her arduous work and studied to some purpose, finally winning distinction for herself and her country, where she 3s the first (and only} woman to achieve the distinction represented by the foregoing imposing array of letters. Miss Sleigh is now a fully qualified architect, holding the highest honours which the British association can confer, and has of late been following her profession in London, and also widenmg her knowledge by, travel abroad. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. K. Sleigh, very many people will rejoice jn her success, particularly in Christchurch and Dunedin, Mr, Steigh being manager for the Union Steam Ship Company in the latter town, and Mrs. Sleigh noted in the more ‘ntellectual set for attistie appreciation and achievement. Mrs, Sleigh is at present in England, but is leaving in January with her brilliant daughter, who, it is hoped, will practise her profession in the Dominian

A Novel Competition. When it comes to being a candidate in a novel competition that is "in the offing," at Studio 3L0, Melbourne, the old-fashioned girl will indeed have the best of it, and stand a better chance of carrying off a valuable prize than her up-to-date sister. This is the explanation of it all. Convinced that somewhere in Victoria there are beautiful heads of hair that have not vet made the acquaintance of the tonsorial artist, @,competition is being arranged to persnade the owners of these luxuriant tresses to permit them to be photographed and classified, when a prize will be awarded for the most beautiful "erown of giory.’? The fortunate prize winner will then rejoice with Haydn, that she listened to her mother’s counsel to "bind her hair," and did not join in the general stampede to the nearest shingling parlour. : * * * Notes By His Other Half, Sir Gerald du Maurier was lent a copy of the edition de luxe of Colonel Lawrence’s book on Arabia. Thick in the margin of every page were peneit notes made and signed by one, T. EH. Shaw. Not knowing the identity of. this man, Sir Gerald telephoned to his friend, and was surprised to hear that it was Lawrence himself, for Private Shaw is the name by which he was known in the Air Force. Did not Bernard Shaw send him a copy of one of his works, inscribed, ‘From Public Shaw to Private Shaw?"

From Head te Foot. The vogue of the wide-brimmed hat will be as brief as a summer afternoon. Its days are already numbered, for there are distant murmurings of the return to favour of the close-fitting model. A forecast of coining modes for next autumm has filtered through. Velours and panne velvet will take pride of place in next season’s creations. A toqne of velours is trimmed | with beige osprey tufts; a panne vel-| vet affair is embroidered in gold and silver thread, while another helmetshaped hat has its brim swathed throngh gold rings set high upon the front of the crown. For sports wear there is velours again, cross-stitched with silk and trimmed with corded ribbon. Something new in mules is effected in multi-coloured brocade, trimmed with large shaded roses of exquisite colours and texture, covering almost entirely the front of the foot. a % Me Velvet and Fur. A sheer delight to the eye and to the touch is a new evening cloak of green chiffon-velvet, lined with silver tissue. The large sleeves form a graceful cape effect and are decorated with shirring to elbow length. Soft smoke-grey fox fur borders the sleeves and forms the heavy collar.