OF FEMININE INTEREST

Radio Record, Volume VI, Issue 19, 18 November 1932, Unnumbered Page

OF FEMININE INTEREST

By

Patricia

"A CHATTY, commonsense talk to women in general and mothers in particular, on the care of their health, was given by the representative of the Department of Health from 2YA, Very often a woman is so absorbed in household and family cares that she neglects herself. "Being a mother," said the speaker, "is the most important thing in the world," and so it behoves her, and any woman, especially one who has charge of children, to keep herself fit, mentally as well as physically, for the brain and nervous system controls the body, and if the mother is nervous and jumpy, this nervousness reacts on the children and they too become nervy and jumpy. A quiet mother invariably has a placid baby. It is a good plan Whgnever possible to put the feet up, anti to lie down thoroughly relaxed once a day at least, if only for ten minutes. It is surprising how réfreshed one feels on arising from even so short a spell of rest. Determination to keep well goes a long way to being so. So many mothers are liable to have their interests centred too much in the family so that in time they become stodgy, and often irritable. The mother whom the family will love and respect is the. one who has the widest interests and who displays some knowledge of those things that go to make the amenities of modern life, so vastly cliff erent froin those of even a generation ago, ‘To-day the mother is expected to be a pal to every member of the family-she must keep young and be able to join in the interests of even the youngest of her flock-and to do this she must look after her own health. The extra care spent on herself by giving her a happy and contented family will amply repay. % x F From 2YA Miss Madge Thomas gave a charming little talk on "How to make oneself attractive," and her advice was very sound. In addition to the care of the skin, hands, teeth, and hair, one should cultivate that trait which is the essence of womanhoodcharm! With regard to hairdressing, naturalness is just now the ideal. The hair is kept smooth and flat on the top of the head, gradually breaking into waves which terminate in curls, tight at the back and softly clustering about the sides and over the ears. For the lder woman there is the "long bob?’ the hair with a wide wave or two and a parting deep on the side, being drawn to the nape of the neck and rolled upwards. Fringes are once more approved for girls in their ’teens, to whom the high forehead line is not always becoming. There is nothing heavy or close, however, in such arrangements, which generally consist of a few stray curls that look as though they haye been blown loose by the wind. s 2 * NOVEL innovation in the delivery of cookery talks has recently been inaugurated in the London Studios by Miss Helen Simpson, the novelist. She will give a list of various odds and ends Jeft over in her own larder aud invite listeners to submit recipes for

using them. The most useful and interesting recipes.she will choose for broadcé asting the following week. These talks it is thought will constitute an amusing practical test of domestic ingenuity. , % * Nor the least attractive amoung the shows at the recent London radio exhibition were the displays in the de monstration rooms. Ouxe firm made the daring experiment of permitting the public to compare recordings of poptlar artists with direct productious through the microphooe in sound-proof studios. Among the artists billed were Elsie and Doris Waters, Tommy Handley and Clapham and Jowyer. Another firm attracted attention of sightseers, who were enabled fo see such famons artists as Peter Dawson and Mabel Constanduros actually record, and a distinguished sponsor of one firm's wares was Mr. John Macdonnell, of the B.B.C. "surprise Item" fame. 8 NE of the grentest events in Swedish broadeasting during this year will be the performance of ugene O'Neill's triology, "Morning Becomes Plectra." This unusual work, which was perforin: ed all through in one night in New York, hus to be divided into a three night broadcast perfcrmanece. The drama, which has hitherto not been presented on any stuge in Europe, hus beea translated by the producer. The Sweish public are recommended — to form theatre circles for this broadcast, and to read the triology (having different ae

characters distributed smong membe's of the circles), and tren discuss the merits of the work from different points of view. Bg * me Pur broadcasting of church services is now a regular feature in the wireless programmes. The microphone, in fact, has brought religious services to the notice of millions of people who never enter a pluce of worship, and there is now a scheme in fact in England to popularise religion by introducing the talking film in the churches. A Lancashire clergyman with, it is said, the approval of the Lishop of Liverpool, is trying to arrange for a series of film versions of Biblical stories, in which some of the most eminent divines and preachers would take part. The poor yuality of many of the sermous that are given from the pulpits is one of the causes of empty churches, and talking films in which the "stars’ included some of the most gifted preachers would, it is believed. soon fill them to overflowing. Genernlly, the services broadcast in New Zealand are of a very fair standard, and one is inclined to believe that the broadcast service is usually something special. th Eo] 2 JN an article on the B.B.C., the Paris newspaper, "L'hutransigeant,? in referring to the famous inscription in tLe entrance hall, asserts that this is no mere decorative ornament, and all those who enter this: wonderful buil-1-iug become impressed by its spirit. "It as J Tk" Ben at aa a eeaee ds

has been said of the Anglo-Saxons that they are uurelenting individualists. That may be so, but they undoubtedly observe what might be described as a special kind of collective individualism. lt is that which accounts for the immoderate enthusiasm for wireless in general-the pleasure of the lovelyaud for their national broadcastingthe object of common pride. It is therefore not sufficient to say: ‘Assumes ing an organisation suck as the B.B.O. were created in France, there would be ten million listeners.. No. It would be necessary to create an organisation adapted to the psyehology of the French. Before many years are past the English will be the most musical nation in the world-this transformation is entirely due to the B.LB.c. If, by coutrast, in a few years’ time the I'rench were to become the least artistic people in the world, our system of wireless would be responsible for it. British broadcasting is summed up in figures and even the greatest British eloquence could not express it better-~ fire million listeners-twenty-two studios." * % % RECENT publication (Tarrap) en« titled "The Elegant Woman. From the Rococo Period to Modern Times," by Gertrude Aretz, and trauslated with vw preface by James Laver, should prove interesting reading to women generale ly. This book is a fairly comprehensive survey of the lives of such leaders of European society as have made feminine history, together with a good deal of information about demi-mondaines who were in their own world equally influential in introducing new fashions in dress and manners and helping the evolution of women. Fraulein Aretz begins with Madame de Pompadour and takes us through the machinery of female enticement in the 18th and 19th centuries, This chapter is followed by one on coquetry aud the dress salons of that period. The author also reminds us that for a long period all the attraction of women’s dress was put outside; rococo underweur was very coarse, and the linings of rich and clegant gurments of the period were us unpleasant as sackcloth. Chapters are devoted to Du Barry, to Marie Antoinette, to Madame Tallien and Mme. Recamier and Josephine de Beauharnais before we come to Lady Hamilten and the beauties of London and Bath and the fashion in dress and cosmetics that inspired Knglish women. Women’s dress and women's morals during this period have been exhaustively studied, but they always yield some lively anecdotes and pointed tales. The author concludes with the sports model, with the modern ballroom dancer, and with Josephine Baker triumphant in a girdle of feathers and the "Brker Fix" as she calls her method of tarring her hair. It is interesting to note that before 1850 women were dressed entirely by women. The man designer of fashion is comparatively recent. It was in 1858 that dresses were made short to the knees, and the celebrated M. Worth was the first creator of thig quite recent fashion.