1956-05-09 — Page 4

Page

one.

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1956.

Down with

'U' D

NANCY SPAIN

HO wants to he Upper Class, Pd like to know? Not 1. for

Yet a little book, elited by Nuney Mitford out th week, called NOBLESSE OBLIGE (Hamish Hamit- ton, 1, d.), reminds me that a

great very

manz people would like to thought as arisløerntie #44 The Other Nancy.

be

The

Who is Misa Nancy Mit Guard that she can this Twitter middle classes”

Well, she to an ariston ral

the buckbone, although she may

be a Socialist at heart

sel

chuit She is the tide-1 Lord Redeschalt Jing her name precisely 13 Freeman Mitford-

family The

butto ba Gor Cureth for Us." She was born ότι 100

THE

FOR US

has five sister

A

NANCY MITFORD

new conversational craze percolates down from the literary heights; the craze of classifying language, habits, tastes, as "U" (upper class) or "Non U" (lower class). It began with passages like this from "The Pursuit of Love," by Nancy Mitford

ATT. (All the same, Fanny darling, it is called writing-paper you know dook let's hear any more about note, please.) 'T?"

and grew into a cult-with Miss Mitford as the high priestess. Today, as Miss Mitford publishes the first book devoted to the subject, one Nancy attacks another...

"I understand that in some quite reputable regiments ic is not only permissible bur obilgatory to call plain clothes MUFTI !}" ALUSTRATION. FROM. MOOR BY DIHEAT SARDARYA

Interesting as on endless dis- cussion about the Cost of Any- thing.

But then Aristocratie Women have such a shocking time,

They mustn't cat cheese dinner (mannish).

Anyone can tell them by their shoes (and gloves).

Ideally they are uneducated, Mitford admits she is Unrated.) On the whole ROVErnesses are hired for the girls and the boys go to Eton. Any sort of boarding-school for girls is unthinkable. Places like Roedran, Cheltenham, are dis- Unelly Non U. Most Lords detest clever women.

Well, ink that people should please themselves.

UNITE!

Y all means Jet Nancy Mit-

ford and other U speakers continue to live in their fas- cinatingly negalive fashion, minding their Pa and Qs, and shuddering whenever

anyone

by Nancy Spain

were

Correct

looking-glass, scent. chimney - piece. writing papur.

1J

asch

Non U

Excuse my

Take un

Klevo

Hotlink/

ไบปร

K

Knave

Hall

How Go

do?

you

Her characters, 160, denied themselves sugar in their coffee, #sinister middle-class praeilee aristocrafienly condemned,

la 1954, nearly 10 your, Inter, of Professor Alon Rots, of Bir-

Stefan Museer mughaus Unive fed

Is

friend

She

Helsinki

Hane

ilure ridi Jack Tut en doi

Par

Longe

to mert you Pardon f Cruet

h

Studying for

All Cat Preserve

the Duchess of Devonshire, phrase, He published an essay entitled “U mad onother, haastenek The Valkyrie, Waw

Non 11 Hitler), one b. ther Tran, who

In this he learnelly observed Norway. was kilim

Upper Clas (for U) married Peter Rodd, son of Land that

* pukes suit bike, Rennell, a farmer

undding, ambascadia

napkin, and rich: the Roine. |1

she vegetables, tu

wor

whereas Non speakers said managed a bookshop in Curzon Street, and began to write dar cycle. sweet, greens, serviette, novels, The Pursuit of love and wraftly. (1845). "LAWO

*** Climate" (1999), "The Blessing"

It (1951).

KIL

શ

C

She began the Cult of Upper Clogs soge back in 1945 when In "The Porsult of Love" sho had a character declare that I was Not Quite Aristural to use words like mirror, perfume, mantelpiece, and notegraper.

"POLAROUTER "*

timing every S'A. S. (Scandinavlari Airlines System) Royal Viking Aight.

in all stainless steel or with

14 Kt.gold shell top. Black and gold or all white dial.

Sennel Frozes, Pedder Street.

marvellous phrase, " Non then passet into the langunge to 11le the greatest Cult since Stephen Potter'

Cult of Gamesmanship.

Aristocrats,

way

to my Dinking, have a rotten time.

of

Whins?

salt celist,

pepper Dui ITUNtard Working for an

exam.

Jam

Now take a look at some of the things they can't do.

raises a glass to tour & friend saying "Cheers!"

But what I cannot bear Is the thought of all the cadful limitation U speakers I am поту going to meet,

So Non U Speakers of the World Unite!

Let us put the milk in Brst and say bye-bye as we leave

our friends. Let us go to mid- day dinner. use dentures,

go mentai, be ill, become teachers. wear cursola, take baths, for ali we are worth. (Luncheon, false teeth, going mad. being sick, being a school mistress/master, wearing stays.

baths having are correct Usage.)

FIGHT!

DON'T let us be strangled by

U-behaviour.

Let us have

In no circumstances can they put the milk in Arst when a Couter Cult of Non-Usage: drinking a cup of tea. They a gathering of the cads and

talk about money, they bounders.

money; nover do anything for

even thlak eaily they never

Dever

Let us fight for the right to think and speak and behave as individuals,

not half-baked mitations of hair-witted debs.

about money.

When

And that they they haven't any money they simply pull their horns in Well, what

So anyone who wants to Join shocking bore. a

What EX

this Nancy's Non U Society for terribly dreary way of living.

I'm sure that all right-think- The Protection of Freedom, Joln

Just take a look at sume more of the words they can't sny:- that

Non U women will agree there is nothing half so

The watch

that times S.A.S. Royal Viking flights

“POLAROUTER,

TIMING EVERY SAS ROYAL VIKING FLIGHT

was designed specially for S. A. S pilots. Its construction is the result

of technical study based on scientific facts. Its structure allows it to witlustand any climate in all latitudes, from the pole to the equator. Its water-resistance is assured by three basic elements:

HOW. Our badge will be clasped hand holding a tea cup with the little finger crooked well out, putting the milk in

irst.

Our motto? Why. "Cheers, dears," of course,

Now, to top it all, the Com- bridge

Untun has invited

me lo debute this very subject, That this House Prefers to be U." As you can imagine, I shall OPPOSE the motion!

A

GILES ACQUIRES EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO THE PRIVATE LETTERS OF NIKKI THE BEAR

dear comrade

mum,

JUST a few lines to let you know that I arrived safely and am having a wonderful time,

I must say that this bourgeois, Western style of living suits me down to the ground. Ever since I arrived with have been on the bottle unlimited eggs, butter, and milk, and a special private room with bath and attendance at the London Zoo.

On Monday I WIS taken to Windsor Castle and everybody was very nice, especially a little Corgi named Susan who showed me how to Guards' play at biting Grenadier ankles.

It is a lovely game and easy to play because the Guardsmen are not allowed to bite you back but have to stand very still as if nothing waS happening, and only if you are very, very quiet while you are playing can you sometimes hear them any funny little words which I have not learned the meaning of yet.

Comrades Bulganin・ and

NATHANIEL

mum

Krushchev are also having a wonder- ful time, but they are not allowed to bite anybody's aukles although quite a lot of people over here have been taking a nip at them, especially some members called Socialists who you would

would think

rather play another game called Shaking Hands. Two things I have noticed over here that are different from life at home are-first, that they treat hanging very seriously and run around all day deciding whether they are going to hang one another or not, and second, that nobody seems to work very much except policemen and zoo keepers.

*

★

But, by and large, 1 think 1 prefer their decadent way of life to yours, Mother, and I'll see if I can arrange for you, Bruinvitch, Rupertvitch, and sister Olgavitch to be deported, from Biberia to Regent's Park.

I must close now as the head keeper has just brought my elevenses -a trough of carrots, sweet roots, and

caviar.

Your loving son,

THES

nikki.

P.S.—Mr. Eden seems a very nice comrade and hasn't taken A alp Comrades B or K yet.

GUBBINS

at

"He says It's not "true," shout through the wind.

"What in't true!" the PL.W. shouts back.

S the sun is shining That's why wo are always happlly forget all about her the

my life partner the reading of them breaking police next ininute.

condong

at bewildered to get Plucky Little Woman

Even the Russian uncles may foreigners

embarrassed and suggests that we read the athleles and why batamen, re-

As for be a mystery to them.

"About this friendship.” "Was it girl friendship?" in papers together the turning from the crease, duck the Middle East, it is doubtful

"I don't know. The paper has garden.

their heads and run the last if they know where Jordan is

and think the Gaza Simp (if blown out of my hands." few yards to the pavilion.

they think of it at all) is a "That doesn't make it very serialised cartoon about space Interesting, does it?"

According to the PLW. 12 i to escape the British housewives lying in wait to give them 2 smacker on both checks.

men.

I point out that a strong wind is blowing which will make reading newspapers & bit difficult, but the P.L.W,

The PLW. thinks one of the says that after

The P.L.W. can even remem- A hard

four might possibly have been a "No, but it makes it much winter sitting upstairs be the full housewives'

ber unglamorous M.P.s getting middle-aged dusimon who wants safer if the Ambassador is on-

treatment ed to better himself. hind double windows in a when visiting industrial

Perhaps noved. He wants to muzzle the he thought it was an examina- British Press. cloud of cigarette smoke it's Before they could get out of lon for the Foreign Office, lead- Shame" time I had some fresh air.

their cars washing-machines

ing to a knighthood and Cabinet So here we are in our deck. were deserted, aprons flung off, rank as Foreign Secretary.

and

were half- chairs, holding desperately on

a forest of soapy

M.P.3 the

arcas

Three-Star

Girl's

Secret Is-Fun

By Ralph Cooper

FEW

London. years back, more than one inter- national film-maker

star

winced when it Was sug- gested that she was material.

Yet at 23 Leslie Caron is star — not once, but twice over, with a third time coming up.

Her first

stardom

ballet-with Roland Petit,

Was

In Her

with

second stardom In Alms-still dancing, but this Gene Kelly in "An American In Paris," since

established

actress.

herself as ព

time

when she hne

film

for her

star-09

a stage

Now she is bidding

third golden

actres

UNUSUAL

To try to discover the unusual auccess secret of this girl

I went along to London's Winter Garden Theatre to watch her rehearsing "Gigi," the play which rocketed Audrey Hepburn to overnight stardom In New York.

On the stage with Leslie was Britain's latest film and stage star, the ruggedly good-looking Tony Britton. They were having almost the A Mage 'row-and first words I heard from Tony were: "You are a tonky, grown weed!"

but

Over-

Not strictly accurate, perhaps, corn-colour with her lank hair and pale complexion, and

elothes, not her drab from the truth either.

spid it Tony Leslie pounced

him in the dust

20 far

again-and

on him rolled and sat upon him, proclaiming at the top of her voice: "Who wants to be a lady, anyway?**

FOR FUN !

Leslie in not beautiful, not in the accepted genee, yet she has own which a beauty of her traps the eye and holds it

To Audrey Hepburn, the part of the 10-year-old herolne of Colette's famous story brought wealth and romance, Leslie has already had all three. What does she hope this part will do for her?

"Establish you is a stage actress?"

suggested, Misa Caron shook her shoulder-length locks anki regarded mo seriously with her large bluc

Very beautiful eyes. eyes.

"Oh, no!” she said, with a surprised little laugh. "I don't do things that way at all.”

"Well, why are you doing it?" I asked.

"For fun," she said, with the same cool, level gaze from her big eyes. "I only do things I like to do. I did not choose this part-it just happened. I met Donald Albery, the producer, and told him I was going to make a musical version of Gigi' In Hollywood. He sold: the Why don't we do it on W

stage in London?' and I thought that would be fun, so here I

am.

"There's 'a lot more in this production than in the New York one. The plot has been 13. al- strengthened...there together mech more to it now." THE FUTURE

The inturer Miss

Caron wants to go on making films

She, is not, as has been re- ported. "fed up and unhappy the editor of this paper I

about Ber recent pictures." have lost calls him a petty,

"That is true only about the what would he tell his pompous little tyrant."

I did one. Glory

Allent Arst And

That's she stuff to plynot want to

But wife, already feneying hersolt Lady Dust presiding at

If this happens to the cuddly ag

ther

I then remind the P.L.W. how

to sheets of paper bellying out strangled in like salls, trying to read about arms, the funny Rushion uncles due Russian uncics the P.L.W. has Foreign Office parties, when she her favourite royalty Emperor at Portsmouth on Wednesday. a rigid-crystal, a tension ring,

little hope of Improved Anglo- asked “How did you get on. Haile Selassie, Russian relations.

a curved dial. The combination of these three features assures an absolute tightness. The "POLAROUTER” is fitted with the UNIVERSAL-GÈNÈVE automatic movement, 17-jeweled, shock-absorbing, anti-magnetic, high-precisión. This is a Universal-Genève exclusive, and has been patented.

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The P.L.W. Is astonished that the funny uncles have com- plained of a Government plot

to prevent their having closer A

Path to glory?

dear?"

the Lion of

• Judah, muzzled his own Press in Addis Ababa. I shout back through the wind 49

"What did

the darling little that any middle-aged dustman who thought he would become man do?" she yells. GUST of wind blows our Foreign Secretary would be too

"Day

after day, year after

allow any newspapers over the garden dumb to know if he had passed year he wouldn't

published but

contact with the British earing wall. But as we have a reserve the examination or not, So he wing to be

She thinks that after of Malenkov's close

contacts

Q

Latest

the others, with Metro-Goldwyn- Mayer, I am very happy Especially about ber "Gaby," in which Leslie has her most mature Ains

tim part to date. "Gaby"

y" is a re-make of the Robert Taylor-Vivien Leigh Alm, "Waterloo Bridge" though me it has Miss Caron assures been changed a good deal.

Behind the shyness and her deceptively gentle blue cycs, determined there is a very

woman. Her succes Doing what she likes

supply I read aloud the story at is just as happy as he was photograph of himself in with affectionate factory girls o Civil Servlet examina- before he got nothing out of 300 bowler hat surrounded by well- pald advertisements,” I yell back. the uncles would have shown fion in English, arithmetic, and, with no marks for neatness. more sense if they had asked general knowledgo held for

I can just hear the P.L.W.! | young small, loyal voice say, "The

for special protection

against people over 40,

secret7

what

the affectionate British hous Out of 4,800 candidates, 2,198 Colder and colder clever uttle sweetheart." and Anding it fun. And that's

wives who are more determined falled, four of them getting no thon and factory girl in their marks at all out of a possible |tirelem "quest for a free-for-all 200.

THE wind gets stronger, we get hug and oudale, and never sezm While the P.L.W.. says she is colder, our supply of news--

the

foot- comes across the lights.

asked

Tony Briiton how ho The last of our papers has found her to work with. Ho now blown away, but 1 manage replied: "Sho is great fun, and to rescue a bit from the excited i am amazed at her technical Devil Cat.

It is the weather report, which three hard years in repertory

ability. She might have had args about our district!

#uese

Light E. to. S.E. winds father warm Mid-day tem

she gots

chance of kissing men sorry to min a

for the four, who don't papers gets omaller. In the cows.

know anything I consider them

In fact, we are now reduced The P.L.W. says

that al- the luckles! people in the coun- to one each, while Lottie though the factory girls were try, on the old principle that Davil Cat, entranced by the new probably showing off in front Ignorance is bilas,

chases the flying sheels, game, For instance, they probably rolls on her back and tears tum of the photographers

ballet training. She knows what when they embraced Malenkov, the house don't know about the Budget to ribbons

to do with a stage when sho wives (unless prevented) will next week and, if they are cap-

perature 55 to GO degs." walks on to it. It is all hota

Do remind me," maya the mother the funny uncles, with able of reading Mr. Macmillan's The P.L.W, is trying to read

Tony himself is on the verge of won't under something about The Wedding P.L.W. to ask the weather ex- kipen, not for publicity but be speech, probably

new career. He has 1100 perts to lunch next time they casso they aro starved of mar- stand a word of It,

and I am trying to read some say it's going to be rather warm Takes All, with Glynis Johns made his first film, "Loser cullens kisses at home, most of

thing about the Jordan Ambas these parta. They shall have, and Romano Brazil and from ander who is complaining of iced cocktails, ford melon, old abvance reports I hear he more tham never getting much more. thats a rough peck on the cheek

story published concerning King cuts and lots of low-cosm.” at Christmas and on their birth-

HunosVa alleged friendship

They may have to ask who Grace Kelly is end, if told, will

with somebody or other.

[Warid Owyyrkaktį:

than holds his own with the redoubtable Mr Brunk be