WHAT WE WOMEN THINK

Radio Record, Volume IV, Issue 28, 23 January 1931, Page 31

WHAT WE WOMEN THINK

By .

ALISON

PT wo of New Zealand's newest buildings have lately won my wholehearted admiration, and these are the new railway station at Auckland, and the Hotel St, George-in Wellington. It would seem that: we are beginning to ‘realise what "service" for the traveller ‘and thé tourist really means. We no longer have need to bundle out of the train at Auckland after a long and dus_ty night’s journey, and face-our friends looking our positive worst. There are beautiful bathrooms provided for clean‘sing and refreshing. At the Hotel St. George. the very newest note of efficiency in service is the provision in every bedroom of a "servidor." The upper part of the door opens both outwardly inwardly, and being bowed both in‘side and outside form.a space in which to place boots to be cleaned or suit to be pressed, It can also be used by the attendant for. delivering orders, which may be rung through from each bedroom ¢o the office. Then, too, each bedroom has its own tiled bathroom, complete with hot and cold shower ; its telephone at the bedside, dainty furnishings and ample cupboard space. There are private sitting-rooms adjoining for those who require them, and suites of three and six rooms. . There is a beautiful palin: lounge, where one can drink tea: and indulge in gossip: under the oldest and largest palms in New Zealand. The decoration of the main lounge and the dining-room is in excellent taste, quiet and subdued, yet warm and inviting. But to be fully appreciated, the. Hotel St. George must be visited, so if you have not yet had the pleasure of partaking of a meal there, t do so at the very first opportunity. \ : * * * (THOSE who, during the past three years, have enjoyed the hospitality of 2YA Studio, will remember with pleasure the cordial welcome extended to them by Mrs. J. Davies, who has acted as official hostess during that period. Widely travelled in many odd corners of the earth’s surface, citizeness of the world as she is, Mrs. Davies has adapted herself with admirable enthusi‘asm and geniality to the at times un-. sophisticated conditions of life in our Dominion. Both Mr. and Mrs. Davies ‘are warmly appreciative of New Zealand in general, and Wellington in particular, and with their spontaneous kindness and catholic appreciation of art in varying aspects, will be greatly missed by the artists with. whom they . caine into daily contact, and also the visiting public, who were made so welcome by the graceful chateluine of 2YA. Speaking for oneself, and voicing the sentiments of countless members of the

social and artistic ranks of inhabitants of the capital city who have been lucky enough to come within the wide ‘sweep of activities of Mr. and Mrs. Davies, the hope is expressed, in the words. of Kipling, that the future holds for -each: of them, the best of "good luck and good hunting !"-The Minstrel. ~ _ . » * * * * "['HH embroidered silk shawl, often a thing of exquisite beauty,. has been almost totally eclipsed by the coatee; but there ‘is* every indication

Sf its return to favour. A new way of wearing it is to drape it round the waist, one corner. covering one shoulder and another ‘corner forming a train, It looks extremely graceful, but -is rather difficult to achieve. , * % * N reading an. account of an interesting function given by an Auckland hostess not long ago, I could not help but gasp at the full column and a half devoted solely to the bare, dry statement of what. each guest wore. Not an interesting description of the various frocks, mind you-nothing but a dull list of names followed by materials! Does anyone ever wade through a column and a half of such lifeless print?" I imagine we could learn

quite a lot from the society gossip coiumns of .American journals. Their chroniclings are at any rate breezy, if a ‘little venturesome! ‘Take, for instance:. "Miss J.B. in pale blue, unassuming, but reéking of chie’! or even: "Mrs. F.T., resembling nothing so much as a green apple tree in full bloom!" and yet again: "Mrs. M., literally dripping chinchilla despite the spring-like temperature!" .. Surely a few crisp comments like these would induce us to wade through ‘these .carefully-compiled lists, but

where is the reporter who would dare to indulge his fancy in such graphic description? oi: s PJ * UITE a new note in;;mannequin parades has been struck by ‘a leading London firm, and it is such a practical and sensible idea that I’m sure it would make a big appeal to all New Zealand women if one of our enterprising firms would go and do like wise. Twin. mannequins, exactly alike in appearance and build, parade daily in similar gowns. One wears an expensive Paris model, and her sister wears an exact copy of the model, in a different shade, and wherever possible, a different material." ° This’ ig made on the premises and sold. at a much more moderate price.’ I think it would be an excellent idea carried out here by one of our enterprising firms. and would be greatly appreciated by the woman who desires to be welldressed yet cannot possibly afford the exclusive price of the imported model. x eS * N_ enthusiastic holiday-maker, airing opinion in service-car’ packed with humid humanity, plumped for Waitomo Caves as pleasure resort. Loudly verbal in praise of banks and’ braes of bonny Maoriland, her slightly illiterate and loudly-voiced comments ran thus: "Give me them Caves! You should see the stalamites and figura: tion. Abso-bally-lutely we was stunned. Little old Rotorua’s all right, too, and we'd ’ave went: there-if there'd J

been time, but Waitomo’s my ’appy ’unting-ground!" From a small man in the corner came meekly tentative suggestion that something might be said for Mount Cook in the flame of. sunset, but the lady would have none of him, using many mild expletives to drive home-her point. "Mount Cook be blowed!" she said-amiably.. "All that waste sky and distance gives you the pip! Makes you lonesome like. "Mount Cook’s for ‘the ’ighbrows!"? Meantime some of us, remembering august beauty of that queen of mountain peaks, its ever-changing, heartsearching loveliness in. nature’s moods of war and peace, reflected that it might well find favour with all the brows of the world, be they high or low or broad or ‘narrow, but kept our counsel and held our peace. * * = "THE vogue of the great fox fur-which has become an all-the-year-round habit with us, is fast nearing its end. .The latest style in fur necklets is the long strip of flat. fur which winds snugly round the neck and falls at length before or behind. Sable and stone-marten take pride of place, but these are both luxury furs, and there: are many other less expensive skins. to be had; although for spring and summer wear there is nothing more attractive than a soft stone-marten pelt, There is a rumour that Russian jackets are to be worn-in the autumn, trimmed with black astrakhan and belted with patent leather in the approved style; while fur coats will .be hiplength or three-quarter, With the continued approval of the caped coat, shoulders’ will be broader and hemlines narrower, and with this silhouette surely there must be a revival of the tricorne hat, which is so attractively becoming to many types. . nn i ‘ a THD decree that skirts must be longer has extended to the youngest section of society, and ankle-length hems, little tightly-buttoned bodices, frilly skirts, with frilly petticoats and knickers to match, are the very ‘last

word in party frocks for smail girls. Spot muslin and similar materials are favourite materials, and the frills give quite a crinoline effect, especially when worn with a broad china-blue sash and blue heelless slippers to match. Isaw a very quaint model the other day, quite early ‘Victorianish, and designed for high days. and holidays. The full skirt was entirely composed of ribbon ruchings in blue, under transparent net frills. Some sweet little frocks for toddlers also took my fancy. They were of white crepe-de-chine, very full from the yoke, and embroidered in cross-stitch in gay Hungarian colours and designs, * bd bd HAVE you got a bowl garden? If not, set to work and make one for yourself-they are so fascinating to do and are a source of perennial joy as table decorations or for window sills. A friend of mine, just back from England, says they are all the rage over there-everybody’s making one! You'll want a large, rather deep, bowl and some fairly good mould. On the top place some rough stones or small pieces’ of rock to give the surface the appearance of a rock garden. Get some very small plants, dwarf cacti or other tiny plants which love stony places. A little rustic house is needed, and one or two small figures from a toy-shop or the inexhaustible Woolworth’s store. A small piece of mirror surrounded with moss makes an admirable lake. Small rustic seats and a little bridge can be made quite easily. With a little ingenuity and resourcefulness, exquisite little gardens can be produced, and if kept carefully but sparingly watered and placed in a moderately warm spot, they are to all intents and purposes everlasting. * * 2 IT these days of January, pre-emin-ently the month of holiday-making, to those who are city-bound and unable, for economic and other reasons, to wander far afield, the call is strong from the havens on the hills, green and red roofs of which glimmer a welcome to week-enders, in quest of elusive sunbeam, and possessed of unconquerable optimism that soon the whirling gusts will howl themselves into some limbo of quietude "where never wind blows loudly." At the usual.allotted seasons, household utilities are held up by reason of yearly beano of butcher, baker, and candlestickmaker; happy bands of pilgrims range up at train and ferry, the obviously family parties oftentimes flustered and tempest-tossed, with hamper and hogshead almost torn from their moorings by playful zephyr that makes hay of beret and scarf, and wafts skyward ‘discreet skirts of materfamilias. Youth is mostly at the helm in these slightly pathetic parades of high hopes, this Pippa-ish desire to get the utmost out of one day’s play. In the gusty midsummer days it is doubtful whether mother and father, and pastor and master, would. brave burden and heat of from 8 o’clock in the morning until 8 o’clock at night, were it not for unfading joie de vivre

of their progeny. When the world is young the sticky jujube is fished, not from battered biscuit-tin, but the jar of Aladdin ; liquid refreshment is transformed from bespidered Amber Tips in ancient tin billy into nectar gathered from some dream valley, fragrant with meadowsweet, and quaffed to accompaniment of ambrosial currant buns that have seen better days. A short -day and a merry one, or so it seems, with breathlessly futile attempts at cricket and gallant straining to conquer the world in. the three-legged race. When, in the waning light, the time comes to gather fogether grimy sweets, paper caps, expiring balloons, and hit the home trail, fat legs linger by the wayside, and freckled faces shine with reminiscence and joy and jam. "Now the day is over" thankfully sigh the Olympians a little later, as they smoke the pipe of peace, drop into a doze, dream they are chasing butterflies over high hills, and awaken with obscure impression that, after all, the game is worth the candle--Deirdre. *% * * RINCESS MARGARET ROSE is setting a fashion among Mayfair babies, according to "Home Notes." Now they must all have their walls a pale greenish blue, the woodwork a dull shade of vellum, a rose coloured carpet and old Sheraton furniture. The Princess’s mother and father are most enthusiastic over modern electrical fittings, and have had an electric screen fitted up just inside the door connecting the day and night nursery, so as to ensure a perfectly even temperature. The new Princess is a wonderfully happy and contented baby and is said to be very like her mother. A BOOK that will be welcomed by all mothers and all those who have the care of little children has recently been published by Geoffrey Bles (London). It is written by Margaret Gordon, who has had ten years’ experience at one of the leading children’s hos-

pitals in London, and is the result of expert knowledge coupled with a wide understanding of children from infancy up to school age. As the author says, "Unfortunately, science has not yet been able to simplify the business of bringing up children. If you wish to be a successful mother you must have a thorough knowledge of children, and to make the. best of this knowledge you must be as clean and methodical as a hospital-trained nurse." By no means a fool-proof job! The title of this valuable little volume is "A Book for Mothers," .