1960-07-23 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, JULY 23, 1960.

PRACTICAL HOMECRAFT

If you move house, or take a new fal, the chances are that you will be faced with rooms decorated in wood, metal or stone, instead of the more conventional wallpaper.

The rough-hewn look-in wallpaper. "The pine planking” in the room below is, in fact made. from Lmcrusta, a three-dimensional wall covering, The stonework around the fire-place is aleo wall- paper. Both by Crown,

JACOBY on BRIDGE

The latest book on bridge is Harry Fishbein's "The Fishbein Convention."

Harry, who is one of the all- time great players, invented this bid some years back as a defence against the tresh three bids that many of his opponents were in the habit of making. The conversion is simple. You double an opening three bid for busines instead of takeout.

I don't use the convention myself because the people I play against don't make a suit three bid without

a very good ruit, So I don't get much chance to punish them. It

KQJ10

NORTH

3

4

VAKJ93 +876

WEST

AQ108 72 AKQ4

88

EAST

42

Q10 3 0 5 1032 A754

The outdoor look

comes indoors

ELIZABETH DICKSON LOOKS AT LONDON'S TOP PARTY GIVERS

I took the French to invent a centre of social Intercourse over which a woman could reign supreme: the salon. Today, two centuries on since the brilliant days of Madame du Deffand' and Madame de Stael, it looks as though it stands a chance of coming into its own again.

And if there is one house in particular, with names like Coward. Cocteau and John Betjeman on the guest list. where the good talk of the salon might once again flourish at its best, surely it is the new, elegant Kensington home of Mrs Antony Armstrong

Jones.

-Hazel Meyrick

Tall, for instance. It TAKE the fireplace

is quite common now fo. find it left in natural brick or stone, with a square cut hole to take the fire. The traditional mantlepiece has virtually disappeared or- is, at the best, nothing more than a narrow shelf slotted into the brickwork.

The most popular choice of brick is red, of course, with d ertamy colar com.ng a loos second. To avoid a brand-now look the builders usually pick second-hand bricks lr më job.

Once you have succeeded in convincing your friends that the wall is not a mistake, and it is not like that because the plas- 'terer never came back, you can

• go ahead with the second stage, and cloak another downstairs wall in tongued and grooved wood-pine, for instance.

Its golden colour looks par- ticularly good in the kitchen, with copper pans hung against it, Another easy-to-make wooden wall comes in the form of panels of birch plywood which can be quickly fixed to an existing wall surface, They are cheap to buy, too.

Simple

What goes best with walls of wood and stone? Simple furni- ture, always, Antiques always look wrong, somchow, against a rough-hewn background, but holstered contemporary furniture up

in bright tweedy fabrics are shown to the best advantage.

Lighting is simple if you stick to fittings made in copper or

For

moment,

and

rld-wide trend,

own right

ning them

The shelves in the kitc able because they are suppo

which can be slötted recessed flash

brass. Particularly good are the weeks. But if you are unlucky hanging lamps from Denmark, enough to get obstinate marks in based on the old-fashioned off the wood, the best way of lamp in design. '

tackling them is with a plece of Polished wood, whether it is stael wool-a pot-scourer will used for walls, flooring or open-

do-loaded with abrasive tread stairs, should never be powder. Once the stain has rubbed out, the wood allowed to become really dirty, been or grime in the pores of the can be polished again to match wood will be almost impossible the surround. to remove.

Sealing the surface of the wood with a special preparation. helps, so does a coating of wax polish built up over successive

IS THE SALON MAKING A COMEBACK?

THERE are at least three celebrated hostesses in in a large group of people she rather run

the cocktail chatterers and the hardy perennials who wants it and so avold war among

her guests. sprout at charity balls-who have the ability to run a

salon.

Two of Ecse are. Lady Hultoń and Mrs Tom Meyer,

beiter

known perhaps as a once part-occasional diner-out," comments "I'm not a party-goer, but an ime adviser to President Eisen-Fleur Cowles. hower, as freelance journalist and author, Fleur Cowles.

Each in their forties, these women have the experience, the brains cad a szíving curiosity in the people that gather around them the three necessary qualities to run a successful salon.

ד

"Rather than social gather ings, an interesting evening is to me a much greater feather. My interest is professional, my I asked her what is her one

& debating society

Wallpaper

You'd think that with all those ideas for gimmick interiors -I've shen one wall built entire- ly of opaque glass bricks, and It from within that wallpaper was being pushed out of the pic- ture.

Not a bit of it: for although

a debating society the desimers may have smaller areas to cover, they are thinking

A challenge

greatest jou is to meet someone rule for ensuring good talk and IF the salon could stage

new and I discipline myself to Trad every day.

good company,

"Never ask bores," she replied flatly and with speed.

recess.

D

"My husband hates parties, bolder, more adventurous so occasionally we have people patterns-like the new ivy-leat A nucleus in to drinks after dinner and the design that looks as though it is bulk of guests in this house can wrought ironwork....of the growing over tracery of be seen at lunch." DERHAPS the nearest

wallpaper printed with bunches

salon to lay is

approach to the successful

"Who comes? Oh, simply of dark blue-black 'grapes....or run by Ann amusing, friends, whatever the the geranium-splashed pattern Fleming, who was Lady Rother sex. I adore women but men that looks so gay in a dining mere and is now the wife of the make better conversation. novelist who created James Bond.

One of the latest ideas in wallpaper is the mural-by-the- yard paper with boldly-sketch- aled mediterranean seines on it revival on the London scéne, which will enliven the dullest I foresce a formidable chal-room-If you use it with discre lenge to the old, familiar faces tion. and the Look Back in Languor set. Certainly their stamping ground would have to be con fined to the cocktail party.

How does Princess Margaret bably the last of the really ex- measure up to the exacting role clusive. And then there are of this kind of hostess? few bostesses who can give their Of all the qualifications that lives exclusively to entertaining. running a salon does imply, she the dining com was relegated "Today no young man with a has, it is known, a lively to a dark basement, a photo talent or career Lakes it to a curiosity to know what is going mal has been used very effec- Lody Hulton was trained private house to get on.

Be on outside the harness of tively. It makes a fake window entertaining up against

by Emerald would probably do better to protocol in ter private life along the side of the dining table, Cunard, the last of the famous attend a Trade Valon con- notorious intolerance of bores, and it fits in very well with the London salon hostesses.

and she loves to meet a new feak-and-beach furniture from face."

Scandinavia since it is é photo- graphy of a Swedish country Bene

SOUTH (D)

AKJ97664

4

♦J95 $32

East and West vulnerable

South

34 Pass

West North East Double Pass Pass

Opening lead-◆ K

"I will ask an actress to my house and talk to her about Mrs Meyer has lunched the Russia-and by asking her to Shah ef Persia, and at her cross boundaries into another evenings has gathered people world, draw her out. And you Like Douglas Fairoaks. Hugh would be surprised how happy Gaitskell, Mr Selwyn Lloyd, she can be to discard talking in Danny Kaye, painter Simen her own sphere. Elwes, Constance Cummings, and "Being well-informed is my her husband Benn Levy. greatest luxury," an echo per

haps of Madame de Stael, who said to Wellington: "Talking politics is my whole life."

Invitations are handed out infernally by telephone but people are never bidden just to drop in and the traditional ever should run

or so to somcone who makes these bids arrangement i 30

drinks before dinner and very weak, I would adopt Fish- boin as a defence against them.dozen to stay on to dine. O

1

20 to dinner and the same South's three bid was one of amount in to drinks afterwards. those trash bids and since West

was playing Fishbein he doubled and East left it in. West .cashed three diamond tricks and shifted to a club. East took his ace and led a trump. Eventually, West made all four of his trumps and South had paid 700-point penalty for his bid

3

You will note that South's three spade bid would probably have worked against a pair that were not using the Fishbein convention. It West did double East would take it out end East and West would eventually go set at some high contract,

Of course, West could pass.. In that event South would have been set, but the penally would be a moderate 200 and not a large 700,

♥CARD Sensei♦

Q-The bidding has been:~

North

East Bouth

West

Pana

THE

WEEK-END

in

Like Lady Cullard, she is clever conversationalist and has a good sense of timing. Even

GAMBOLS.

I CAN'T GET

THE CAR IN

THE GARAGE FOR JUNK

I'LL CLEAR IT?

OUT NOW

DID YOU WIPE YOUR

FEET

Of salons in general she says; "There is no house left in London to which everyone wants to be invited. Society was much more organised 10 years ago.

"Proust's parties were pro-

ference."

Of her own salon: “Organised chaos is the thing. I would much

London Express Service,

Barry Appleby

Photo-mural

Another decorating idea that Is catching on, fast, is the photo- mural a photograph in black and white of a panoramle scene

enlarged almost to full size.

In one London house where

with pla

Page

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་་

14

Pass Pass

You, South, hold:

PART

41 VEJBL 4AQ878 4854.

What do you do now? en

A-Bid six hearts. Your hand

is sound, but you have litte 12

· tereni in a grand 'klamı

TODAY'S QUESTION

„Apili East her overcalled your. partner's one-heit bid with one":†' -apade. This time you holde

AVUKTS KAQETES SKOTT

What do you do?

Answer on Monday

You'll sleep