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O
THE-CHINA-MAIL-SATURDAY, - SEPTEMBER 25, 1984.
THE BIG SPENDERS by John Deane Potter Switching today to LONDON
Not quite so
easy
here to
F course the restaurant proprietor should have known botter
when the Maharajah of Morvf asked him to place a bot,
"It is nothing very much," said the maharajah, “just a two-to-one chance."
The proprietor had often obliged his customers when they fancier
a horse before lunch. They would often decide to put £50 or £100 on. He was confident he could assist the maharajah.
"Good, Then put £10,000 on for me," said the maharajah. The proprietor tried not to show the earth had taken a sudden
lurch.
"Certainly, Highness," he said, and hurried away. It took him quite a time telephoning hand to get the money on, Most London bookmakers just laughed at accepting such a bet at short notien. Eventually one of the biggest book makers in London took it. And
the horse won.
But to the Maharajah of Morvi a bet of this sort literally does not matter a button. When the proprietor returned, haggard but triumphant, he twirled one of the buttons on his blue coat und thanked him carelessly.
If he had torn of two of his buttons and given them to the proprietor it would have been security enough. The buttons were made of diamonds and estimated to be worth £5,000 each.
ROBB pictures London
But the 35-year-old Maharajah of Morvi, who comes from 2 small State of 150,000 people, la one of the last of the Indian princely spenders. He owns race-horses, gumbles nt Deauville, and a bill for £200 when he takes a few friends out to dinner is normal for him.
He is one of the more spec- taculor West End spenders. There are not many in his cla569.
London does not encourage big spenders 1 the way other capital cities do. But eccasionally one of them cuts loose and insists on spending
money.
Prejudices
WHEN they do, they often run
WH
up against curiously English prejudicca. For instance, one American millionaire had to be spoken to cather severely in a famous restaurant recently.
With generosity for which he is known In Europe and America, he kept pressing dollar
the hands bills into waiters and doormen.
100 of
last night... any night
...
The young and elegant, the not-so-young and not-so-elegant ; the postage-stamp dance floor the champagne scene - ..the.
£10-a-head night out.
i
potential big spender in London,
besome living people,
This frugal national attitude which has been beaten into the rich Men of Britain is not shared by the wealthy of other
nations.
Film producers are others who spend money sporadically. When they have finished film which they are pleased with and think When foreigners get to it will make the money they London, especially the South will throw a row of champagne Americana and the Grecks, they parties. like to hear their money splash like Nlagura.
RUBIROSA'
Polo ponies
cost him £10,000 every year
'splash
SKOURAS
Fancy!..21b. of caviar
can set you back £78
the cash'
Two brings with him can drink as
costs 15. a teaspoonful. pounds of caviar costs £78.
His guests were given soup spoons instead of teaspoons dig Into the glutinous black mound. That was only the start of the dinner of course, --
to
25
Few Englishman can keep up that pace. But home-grown George Dawson, who cockney as jellied eels, can, He will often bring á Léw of his friends to a luxury restaurant in his black-and-maroon Rolls.
TE
A £250 bill
Then he had 0 splendid, He ordered
travel, hotel, and other expenses pold.
London bookmakers laughed at his bet
Now York to Paris in [spécially chartered plano.
La Ficeho is his favourite Fony, Only Rubirosa is allowed to ride it.
Another pony in the stable in for one perion only to ride. It
There was also the shipowner is called Lady Luck and it is who offered casual acquaint- kept specially for film star Zen nhoes four free multes aboard. In addition to "his pontos has a team of one of his ships. The cost of the tubiron also four suites for a long return three polo players to ride them. He makes the fourth member of trip would be £2,000.
the team himself
Hobby horses
די
The three professional players are paid high salaries, and all expenses at first-class hotels in Paris, Deauville, or Biarritz, also wherever the team is playing. in He also pays for their parties and other incidental expenses.
course you can cultivate a raro taste drink. Like the West End
spender who got around to This costs him more than the And drinking the equivalent of four upkeep of his 10 ponies.
It does not include extras like bottles of Bloody Mary a day. the big American car he gave
This is vodka and tomato juice recently to the two Bouth The doctors are still working on American members of the team. htm,
You can, of course, still have A slap-up evening out in Lon- don without spending so freely as some of the customers abový described.
It
You may, in fact, ind difficult to spend more than
£10 a head.
Caliph manner
WHAT satisfaction does this Wexpenditure of £400 a week
plus bring to Rubirosa?
Well, he had the sati:faction a few weeks ago of winning the Paris Polo Cup, He defeated A well-known restaurateur Baron Guy de Rothschild's team.. put it to me: "Work it out like This was only common justice za this. Caviar la 303, a por the Rothschild. team. 征 tion-two teaspoonfuls. So, appraised by shrewd observers perhaps you would like. to as being only the second most Couble it? All right, £3 & expensive polo outilt in France." person for caviar. A bottle of champagne per hend at £3 But Rubirosa does everything
in the best caliph mamer,
bottle,
will not.
£1,000
n day in such cireum-
If not enough people nod to The English with their ever- stances. So when they bring a
many magnums of champagne them they often find other
* "No one can average 'more He lives in an antiquo-stuffed. present taxation and rationing bundle of friends in to a meal
us they like. The club regard methods of pouring their money than that without overdoing it. three-s(pray mansion on the only just behind them have on the bill 13 £100 It is costing
the trouble of getting a barrel away.
If the men in the party drink Left Bank in Paris. It was a * modest,
in propertion about as moderate them
of teer specially for one. 03 0 much
n small 18
Tako celebration
worthwhile effort, as his bill at
case of the more than a bottle, the ladies" present from former wife Doris the and Kosting a pound or two would
So if you allow a Duke, the end
who of the evening often Greek
But in a night mean to an ordinary person."
Comes to £300.
club frustrated and dejected. He bottle each it will be more than
He also owns "two private was depressed because he had enough.
planes, five cars, and a private not been able to spend enough "Allow £4 for food and an fishing ground, in, of all places, money...
extra drink or so and your bill the French Congo, He has his will be about £10 ahead. ** owd Ahing ship there. He also He is in the grand tradition of spendthrift idea.
"For big partim I generally plantations to the
Dominican Republic. magnum-nodders. They are a caviar and champagne for all estimate £5 a head. They can certain type of people who go the waiters and every member the host gets a bill for more he the Dominican Republle for d have all they want for that. It He has been, a diplomat, för night club. They are usually of the band. He departed with probably thinks he is being years. Half his income is stated not well known, except perhaps the dawn, gratefully paying a cheated. And he probably is. to come from the salary paid to But such comparat him by the grateful republic. Which of courie mokes him
the highest If you
cannot spend it that modest budgets do not always probably
please the big money with diplomat in the world. can indulge in long- way you
an fich to spend distance generosity..
If your money still burEM" R But it is not always the type of spender hole in your pocket as big as Rubliom Like the American airline a prairie Are you can always" who is the most fascinating,.
In a class by themselves when it comes to spending are the
Party-givers
After junch he will pick up a bill of 280 or so without blink- ing his chrewd, steady eyes.
There 19 also the Midland NE of the great party givers
man the business Skourns,
who Spyrom
foreign freight shipowners. A ONE
Kocs
to
ta fashionable restaurant or
In the case of cho South African, bill of 2250.
This beliaviour displeased the ed: "They are a little quict now president of Twentieth Century- London every few weeks. Before as puppies. So whenever my
13 pence
wary-eyed restaurateur explain-
In the Fox. management so much that they because there vel him to desist The world. Once a n war starts, like manager told him he was afraid Korea or Indo-China, they be his staff would become restive come extremely busy. Then under this shower bath of dollars ships are chartered to carry arms And neglect the other less and equipment. handsome-tipping customers.
"As they are hired by nations
But they are as affectionato
one nods to them-probably mis- taking them for someone else they immediately call the waiter Like lizy establishments all and have a magnum of cham-
sells over the world it never
pagne sont over to him. beer. But this
A club gets special small barrel of beer in for him. For this he pays £6.
he arrives he always telephones his favourito club.
He
is
he
£ 100 one of the luncheon men. But the other day special wanted to give a
So he ordered 2ib. party. caviar for his guests.
of
That is typical of the sort of the price is not important. A This does not sound much frustration which can impede a single ship can make a profit of until you remember that caviar
F
executive who met a man in a taka up a really expensive
7
.
baid
*
With a certain amount of awy “I add a very different specimen
This form of transient friend bar. The man said he had. hobby. thip works cut expensive. They always wanted to see the USA. You can own racehorses for to my collection. He. B not rich He never drinks anything but and it so enjoyable they come So the American paid for a trip-instance.
tc beer himself, but the friends he back for it night after night.
New York for him all always the danger that you may
win a little money back..
The Wingless Wonder
to
There were at the
"wobble starved engine will... and then stopped again. The pilot bellowed "Pump!" -
time
the fuselage ly iply would cease subres litely he requested his superior
which was
officer to repent. His superior offéer bellowed "Pump, you silly. sergeant. PUMPI
* Tharu is, of course, at all. ***
Hy is a determined little mau from the North of England who walked into a London night club clutching a small scuffed brown
Zsa Zsa's pony ruitcase
MORE successful money. One-night binge
A spending method is to run your own polo team.
the
AVERY
Polo ponies are the habby of EVE
But very rich.
with
for
opened
time. ho paid delnic he
and
Porario Rublrosa they are...an the suitcase obsession:..
tracted a ten-chilling note, Ho
( never took his hand off the suit-
Bublin who has married case, {WIMAJADE THIS TEXANDR
pome of the richest and most the sulten fej danced-be sitkoj
beautiful women in the world,
clear the lever known as a "LIGHT - CADET JACK had already departed and self round to try to
BRADLEY, while at were spinning high above tangle but before he could do pump."
The bold had a vague sight of the silken various views among pilots
so providence took a hand, He the Royal Air Force in his wake.
na In a lurching neroplane, with College, Cranwell, went on Bradley, therefore, found parachute folds streaming awny to the efficiency of this system..........
an intercom that was crackling height test in a Stekin III himself screaming earth- from between his knees,, where-
the and all quite unrepeatable. Part of badly
sergeant - gunner fighter. At a height of warda in a wingless fuse upon, almost in the same second
like French: Alm star Danielle the trouble was that while the didn't hear very clearly. Po-
"night club ? management as it seemed, there Was 16,000 feet he decided to lage, which now began mighty crack and he realised
Darrieux, tobacco heiress Doris beesms/worried. They crusa fuel
could restart working
Duke, and, of course, Berbara: examined him pretty closely vary the proceedings by spin on its axis.
that he had left
and for
no
Hutton keeps the most expens when he said he had 300 10s, trying to perform a "bunt."
and was floating down beneath equally suddenly
good reason that anyone at that
sive, string of pois ponies in notes in the suitcase, This is an outside loop. The Bradley decided that the a fully-opened parachute.
time could discover.
In the minutes that followed
Europe, With that ittle pilot dives his machine to time had come to get out.
point under the pilot, thought that his order
They discovered he was a Flight-Cadet Bradley thought
He has 10 ponies at the The engine who was leading his platoon moment. top speed and then pushes But getting out wasn't so about providence. He saw above stood we can proceed to a dive- had been obeyed.
shop, hssistant, who had saved Six of them are 80s, week from his salary for the control-stick hard for. enay. Owing to the spin him the remains of his wings bombing attack in a Vengeance "caughi" again and proceeded through the jungle found
an stabled in Biarritz, The other two years to have one night out carried out by to take up a level beat. The RAF sergeant morosely de-four are in Paris... fluttering down uncomfortably ward with the result that and the tremendous speed dose and though; he had better squadron-lender and a sergeant pilot therefore navigated
in London, his pending from a parachute which
They are trained by Jean He handed over a thick bundle anese troop positions in a range then turned to congratulate his cut him down and organised his of hills with satisfying effect gunner on having done a good return to baso There, in His stables are just outside Paris enly had a handful left when **** the squadron-leader at the con- Job with the wobble pump," answer to his pilot's sulphurous
trols bet course for, base. Yet
On the edge of the Bois do he upped the doorman 108, to inside in the normal way GERALD BOWMAN continues.the just when ade of the
inquiries as to why the Haitch ́ The gunner wasn't there. His he had gone out, he replied in
Boulogne.
call him a taxi, right side of the position was empty. The horri dignanily: "bomb Ine" his big Wright fled pilot swore to everybody Well, sir, you ordered me to for the upkeep of his ponies the dawn. But it wore a look Rubirosa pays £10,000 m'your "His faca was a little pale" in had got his Siskin over the adventures of the Caterpillar Club Double Cyclone radial engine concerned that throughout the jump-so I did!”
began to mistire badly.
fight he had done no serobatics
They were not cheap to buy of complete, contentment. The pilot, woggled the engine or performed
either. «Two of them, La“ day evolution control furiously, and said we which could have caused his
Fleche, and La Petijo Socúr, he · He had had one glorious, well never mind what he said. comrade to fall out,
The series concludes -- next bought in the Argentine. They splendid, tpara-no-expense ever, The cagine fired again, ran un-On that same afternoon a Baturday, with ERP, INC adven" | cost" £1,300 each. „And re- îngs? He would remeníber 15,
alleutenant of the Army forces fure, Bemba 'Abiapo,”.
cently they were flown from, until the end of his life, certainly and thuddingly, as
he goes round a "loop" with of the falling fuselage he "ép!" his parachute and got gunner,: After beating up Jap way back to base, landed and had caught in a high tree, Tubbardie, France's top trainers of notes to pay His bill,
his head on the outside of the circle instead of on the
However, when Bradley
vertical in the dive he found that
no matter what he
did with the control-stick
or actuating gear he was jammed against one out of their way. He managed couldn't get the machine up side of it, with the imprese to do so..
Then, an ho, Boated down to and round the 'bunt. He aion that he was glued heavy but affe landing, hp couldn't even get it out of there.
thought about him forthcoming the dive,
interview with his squadron He wrenched himself up commander. The only thing to do in the cockpit by his elbows In the archives of the Cater was to roll the aircraft so but he could not fight clear pillar Cid there is much that he would, at least, be He groped for his pars which movi R.A.F. "typown to One such diving the right way up, chute release handle, got happy laughter. At his second attempt he grip on it and fiercely pulled Incident, which happened in managed it. In consider. It...
table raller she looked all All that happened was that
around, sesing the earth and he felt the back as the sky once again in their and then realised that the
#pilot-shute" (which i pužla right places. Then he saw the main envelope) had 'something else. He was bizstod, between, hla Te
time watch his had got caught up rouă, fi
agrir föld back and left knee, i
just
1944, concerne, squadron. operating in the For Kast on
bombers Biacs everyone enjoys
· Vulles Vengeance Mark II dive a joko ezbept: the fellow at the
receiving and, of it I have bein naked to leave our actual names,
The Vultet, an fhped whic" flän |
on to the
JOHNNY HAZARD
IT'S ALL WELL" AND WOOD- TO, RUN THROUGH THIS MAZE, NICKILLBUT WHICH WAY IS 10
FEEL LIKE A TRAPPED
RAT LOOKING FOR THAT
HOLE: TO, CRANE INTOL
By Frank Robbi