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The Brussels Post, 1955-06-01, Page 2TABLE TALKS darva Anclieuis. Squatter Myeft On Windsor Castle Stale Cake Was Sold At Auction •••,•••••,... • as old as it seems- Much of the present. Wilding did not exist 150 years ago. l ritain without. Windsor is unthinkable, Yet when George III decided to use an old tower as a hunting box he feund that the castle mould- ering in decay and infested with squattere. Children from near-by slum tenements played follow-my., leader and tag through the stately rooms, In fact, when George IV closed the castle in order that it could be used for royal private residence, he risk- ed unpopularity—for people had grown used to wandering where they pleased, Rights of way were established that still hold good in some parts of the castle, despite the sentries! To make room for the new wonders of Windsor, the archi- tects planned the wonderful 2,- 900 foot terrace; and there is also an internal corridor 550 feet long where both Queen Victoria and King George VI are said to have practised their first rides in wheelchaies. Earl preserved the arm, -Once Sotheby's bad been able to, es- tablish the history of this 0, ject it was returned to 1L,din ,, burgh and interred with the rest of the Earl's remainS. An auction sale unique in his- tory took place at .frolborn Ball in London last November, when titles were offered for 'ale For over three hundred MU'S a fam- ily of Essex country' eolioitors have collected manor rolls, maps and records which carry with them the title of lord of the manor, The titles, of course, derlve from the days of feudalism, *and Horace Beaumont and John leaurnount were, until. the sale was over, lords of nearly' fifty manors in various counties. Their strange coiieetion. was knocked down 'for nearly £10,- 000, many people. acquiring the right to call thernselyee lord of the Manor for 'a few hundred pounds. Although Americans were keenly interested in the sale, the Master of the Rolls, Sir Ray- mond tEvershed, decided that on no account would these historic doeuments be allowed to leave the country. Twenty-seven pen ple bought titles, One purchaser, Mr, William Foyle, the famous bookseller, bought five, and is now entitled to describe himself as. Lord of the Manor of Blamsten Hall, NUCLEAR FASHION - All her school chtims laughed when Nancy Hancock placed., her hand on the high-powered Van de Graaf generator at the County Health Fair. Nancy, )3, joined them s when she looked in the mirror and saw what the generator, normally used to study the structure of atoms, did to her hairdo. In the market Place at Car- lisle ' on. Wednesday, April 7th, 1832, one of the strangeet auc- tion sales in history took place, Standing on a rostrum, sure rounded by groupe Of traders and curious neighbours and friends, were Joseph Thompson and his wife, Mary Anne Thomp- ;1t;ei round `her neck and then Joseph ThOmPidn Pieeed a -" explained, to the astonished and amused crowd that they had de- 4 cided part, and that she was tip lo-r, auction bei anybody who wanted. her: "She has become my tormen- tor, a daily •curse, a night inva- sion and a daily devil. But she can make -butter, sing- Moore's - melodies and plait.hee frills and :'ecans.q therefore offer her, with all, her prefections and helper .fectione,' for the sum 'of fifty Through, this strange perfor- mance Mary Thompson smiled to her friends and generally behav- ed as though_being auctioned by her husband was a daily occur- rence. Yet there were no bids. And 'although Thompson talked for 'nearly an hour everybody treated it as- a joke. At the last Minute, however, a Stranger on the outside of the crowd; who had a retriever dog on 'a leash, pushed his way through to the front and bid a pound. "I'll take twenty shillings and the dog," said. Thompson, and in a minute .the deal was done. Mrs. Thompson joined . her new owner and the transaction was solemnly recorded by the clerk of the market in his ledger. The ledger implies that Mary went without resistance and calmly accepted the'whole procedure. For England, at feast, that was a strange business, although the auctioneering of slaves was coin- men enough elsewhere. A fac- • simile of the 'Bermuda Gazette' Per January' 25th, 1817 makes "strange reading to-day: and keep hot, To the butter, add the fish which has been corn- ' bined with minced vegetables and eggs.' Cook three minutes, pile on the hot-toast and-over it pour savory cream sauce. Serves six, Modern Etiquette Academy in 170 and lost track of ever since. It fetched 42,730. Once, Sir Alec Martin of .0abcroisltli4'tsiosnaidathwaetilridis afniecTri won- derful things brought them for' auction; even though unsaleable, they used to buy them for the amusement of their customers, but unfortunately a bomb de- strayed this curious collection during the war, Skeletons, instruments of tor- ture, Egyptian sarcophagi, Vic. torian sherry and stuffed croco- diles ore only a few of the cnr- ions thinee brought in for auc- , lion. Some unique items auctioned for substantial sums in London have been a piece of stale cake for i210 .(it was a portion of Queen Victoria's wedding cake), gaulinoceltsa.of Nelson's hair and the vest which Charles I wore at his execution. The vest fetched 200 In London every month a very strange auction sale takes place in which the items offered for sale are the prospects of life and death. The auctioneer sells re- versions and life policies. The life policy of an old lady of eighty-eight is, announced as "an attractive proposition," ' implying that it can't be too long before the policy is paid Up. But much depends on the health and potential longevity of the person in whose name the life policy is held. A reversion is a sum of money due from somebody's will (somebody who has already died, of course, otherwise the purchaser of the reversion Might find that a co- dicil has made his. property val- ueless) or under some legal settlement. Many people who cannot be bothered to wait for years to receive benefits and legacies auction their rights in this way. But propably quite the oddest item ever brought to an auction room was a man's arm in spirit, together with a sword. Sotheby's realized that they could hardly be put up for auction, But inquiries were made about their origin; with- such good re- sult. that they everl... found to be of the greatest 'historical inter- est and of particular sentimental, value to Scotsmen. For the arm had belOnged to the Fifth Earl of Montrose, the . Scottish -hero who was hanged, drawn and quartered 'in the seventeenth century. Nobody knew for certaia why this grisly relic had been pre- served, whether from motives of patriotism or enmity. It is more likely, I should think, that -a sympathizer 'and follower of the Q. What are the occasions • when sending flowers is really obligatory?. A. To the funeral of a friend, or a member of a good friend's family. To an intimate friend who is — or has been — serious- ly ill. To neighbors who give an anniversary party. To a guest speaker, when we are the hostess. There are still many ghostly corners of Windsor Castle which are seldom explored. A staircase near the Sovereign's Entrance bears the notice: "No One under any circumstances whatever is allowed to ascend or descend this stairway." .A pompous offi- cial is supposed have tumbled through crumbling stonework and found himself in a sewer. Certainly • there is a labyrinth of subterranean passages cut in the pure chalk beneath the great wine-cellars which have never been fully charted. There are mediaeval dungeons and deep vaults where• the precious crown jewels were hidden in leather liatelobXes duking'the war. Many 'people' on the staff, 'indeed, be- lieve in the existence of undis- covered secret passages. Princess Margaret at one time spent hours exploring the near- , •by caverns. A former .Dean of Windsor is reputed to have wandered along an underground passage in the castle and emerged a mile away in the Great Park. During the war, so the story goes, , an' Army deserter acci- dentally entered the castle by this means and was -found cringing in the Queen Mother's bathroom.' Altogether the castle has over l 000 rooms so that it was indeed a' chance in a thousand. Many years ago a royal secretary re- vealed that a well-dressed in- . tender had actually taken up residence in this 'maze of rooms and enjoyed the services of the footman of the corridor and kitchen for nearly a month without being detected. -As a sequel to • this exploit, Queen Victoria made it a rule to say goodbye to Windsor guests the' evening before they were due to leave, and official lists of "arrivals" and "depart- ures" were 'put into circulation. In recent years, of course, Windier Castle has been amazingly improved and draught-proofed. Even ' so, the heating and electric wiring sys- tems are Woefully' behind the times and many of the apart- ments have remained unchanged since Victorian days. Cense- euentnv an exnendittire of $750,- 000 .for modernizing the sanitary and engineerine' services of `the castle was recently put forward. TRIM IDEA - Christmas tree in theme of Mrs. Joseph ,Can- a very modern vein is the zani's costume at a ball, Wire and balloons add the modern- istic touches. The traffic swirls alongside Windsor Great Park and some" times a small geey couple joins the stream, driven by a elinn girlish figure, a coloured scarf .around her head, There is no special policeman on point duty and often the grey ear has to wait for a lull in the holiday' rush ,along the main road. Few of the Passing cirieers re- alize that the motorist whom they are keeping waiting is the Queen. This anonymity truly typifies the Queen's keen en- joyment of her least-known home, her "maisonette in a grey tower" at Winclaor. At one time the Court went to Windsor Castle only for East- er and Ascot week and special furniture had to be taken from lLondon, When the Palace serv- ants wished to date the future movements of royalty, they used to inquire whether a certain desk would be in or out of town. Now the Queen like to pop down to. Windsor whenever she can snatch a spare week-end. The suite she, occupies in the Victoria Tower was presented to her as a home of her own when she was a girl of eighteen , and nowhere can the Queen end her husband enjoy greater relaxatien and privacy, In the little dining-room—con- verted from a former pantry-- Her Majesty once highly en- , tertained her father by serving 2 meal she had cooked herself, and the late King so appreciated the comfort of her rooms that he jokingly declared he would like to move over! Naturally, the Queen has little time for cooking nowadays. But her self-contained suite still has• Its own tiny kitchen; and. an ap- petizing whiff of eggs and ba- con • mingles occasionally with The castle's air of grandeur. This is the latest charming -twist 'in the Windsor story . the saga of the thirteen-acre fortress that has been the home of Britain's kings and queens for nearly 900 years. It was from. Windsor that King John sallied forth to sign the Magna . Charta, and in the royal library Shakespeare first staged his "Merry Wives of Windsor" to entertain Good Queen Bess: * At Windsor Henry VIII received that cutting rejection from a young French princess . . . "Sire, of course I would marry you-e. if I had two necks!" At Windsor Queen Victoria , shyly proposed marriage to Prince Albert; and whether a- lady's garter -was retrieved from the dance floor or not it was certainly within the castle that heroic Edward III founded the Order of the Garter in 1344. To-day, as 7,000 visitors a day jostle through the State Apart- ments, they see old masters worth a million pounds and 'one of the finest collections of ar- mour in the world. The privileged are often shown the bullet that came out of Nel-- eon's heart and Bonnie Prince Charlie's sword, items, that King George V once dubbed, "Ofirt- ordinary, everyday treasures Everything has happened at" Windsor. On one occasion George IV entertained three three foreign ambassadors to a banquet and prankishly sat a scared tramp on his right hand.. Another time a monkey occupied the chair of honour and drank everything within- reach. ' The strange fact remains that Windsor Castle remains is by no means` • Troublesome Names Q. It is correct to use the knife for cutting fish at the din- ner table? A. No; the fork should be used for this. However, it may be necessary at times to use the knife to slip back piece of re- fractory skin. Q. When a .than meets a woman on the street, with whom. be is well acqUainted, shoUld he offer his hand? ' A, This is s tticktly the woman's privilege, and it is bet- ter to let her make the first move, • Q. Does the father of a widow or divorcee, wino. is marrying for the second time, give her ,away? A. YOS lief father givet her away precisely- as he did at• the first marriage. Andeher family again *tunes all 'the expenses of the wedding, einleee she pre- fers to meet there herself, Q. Isn't it considered rude for a man, when dining, to snap his fingers in an' effortlo attract the attention of the waiter? A, This .18 exceedingly ill- bred. He should always wait un- til he catches the .waiter's eye, then an inclination 'of the head will do the trick, Q. Hew (Ines a mother refer to her son's Wife When introduc- ing her to friends? A. To casual friends, she may say, "My daughtevin-law," To clbse friends, she may say, less forrnally, "Bob's wife." Q. How should one eat break- fast bacon, with the 'fingers or a fork? A. When possible, with a efork, But when ;t is se very dry and crisp- that it scatters into, fragments when broken by fetle, fingers :are peenlitted, as they are also for very dry potato chips. Q. Should the Minerniternerit of an dirgagetrient be finale A. Yee, This may be aerie by sanding a notice tO the ile*S- er, or by issuing eiigrirved. announcements to Oldie friends and relatives, fir by means an announcement party for' the close friends eintl relatives,, a Q. S sehool teacher rise front his or bet desk *lien the Principal enters the elais-0 A, 'Ves; and it Would fib nice if the crass;_ Were titught to iPlplt> HEN'S A GOOD EGG - Fur and feathers have made a happy merger. This old hen abandoned her eggs after a two-week sit fa. tare for a litter of kittens belonging to eight-year-old Warren Ball... TO BE SOLD BY VENDUE At the' Subscriber's' Auction Roorn on Tuesday next (Their Established Auction Day), At ten o'clock, to close Sales, Men's Willow Hats, of good qality, Iron, Nails assorted, 25 Bags Bread, 10 Barrels Salt, also; Rice, corn, flour, crackers, Candles, white lead and A Healthy Young. Negro Woman. But even to-day drama in the auction room is a common thing. At famous auction rooms' such as Sotheby's or Christie's small for- tunes change hands in a matter of minutes and fabulous prices are paid for 'strange or rate ob- jects. Once the staggering sum of .364,094 was bid in a single day at Christie's-eit Was during the sale of the Belford Collec- tion—and on another occasion £60,090 :was bid for a single pic- ture, Romney's "Mrs. Daven- port." It takes a lot to surprise those who' run auction rooms. Rich people unloading' their collec- tier's, into motley, families clear- ing out old "junk" from lofts and basements, and a few who'ye bought something . they think might be valuable. Sometimes they're right: like the man who, in 1945, brought into Christie's an "Old print" he'd bought down the East End, for a few shillings, It wag Row- landson's Original picture of the famous Vauxhall Gardens, which had been exhibited at the Royal If you are one of those peo- ple who use mayonnaise only for salads you are overlooking many a real treat.• Mayonnaise can be added 'to a great variety of dishes to impart distinctive flavor — food that will have your folks asking, "What's in RI" e MUSHROOMS WITH --ANCHOVY TOAST 12 trimmed slices of toast 1 tablespoon anchoyy paste Y2 cup Mayonnaise 1 pound mushrooms 24 cup butter 1/4 cup flour 2 cups milk 3/2 teaspoon salt Pepper .Paprika Toast the trimmed bread on one side and spread with an- chovy paste mixed with an equal amount of mayonnaise. For the sauce; wash and stem the mushrooms; peel caps. if ne- cessary. Use the tender part of the stems and cook with the caps in butter about' four min- utes: Stir in the flour and when well blended, add milk and seasonings. Stir until thick and smooth, add the rest of the may- onnaise and pour hot over the toast. Serves six. * * CHICKEN OR TURKEY .A LA KING 11/4& cup butter 1 cup small mushrooms (can- ned Mushrooms may be used) 2 tablespoons minced green pepper let cup flour 13,4 cups milk 3 cups cubed 'cooked chicken or turkey cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons-pimiento Melt the butter in a heavy skillet, but do not let it brown. Cook the whole mushroom caps and minced green pepper in' the butter over low heat for about five minutes. Sprinkle with flour and blend well into the mixture., Add milk and stir until smooth and thick, Add cubed ehicken or turkey.and cook for one min- ute. "Add mayonnaise and pi- miento, stirring in 'well, and serve at once, Pass' a 'plate of melba toast, -* * * SAVORY CREAM SAUCE (For Fish or Tongue) 2 tablesPoons butter ' 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup ih teaspoon salt teaspoon paprika IA cup mayonnaise 34 COP minced sour pickle I Minted pimiento Melt the bUtter stir in the flour and When Well blended, add Milk and seasonings, Stir over low heat until erntieth and thick, so_ it One minute,. then stir in the Mayonnaise, Minded. Pickle and pineiente, This is also deficieue With cauliflower or broccoli. (teifeiiinS) cup bunter 6' oblong' sikes toast ya bun minced' lobster or tuna flak " 1 tablespoon' minced green PeiiPer 1 tablespoon Minted onion cup chopped Celery (find) 2 minced hard-Cooked' Ogg Savory death sauce' (above) Melt butter arid fry eaclf slice of toast hi it for one Minute, Remove toast to a hot Platter If youts is a name that's easily pronounced, consider yourself kicker'. .For there are ..plenty of people with surnames which are constantly being feisPeonounced., For instance, there's a testau- rant keeper in"' Lansing;" Micni- 'gen, whie!'he's never Met any- ' one ' Who can: - correctly` pro- nOutice his name fleet ache. 1.716's ere sere none of his pa- ttoos ie likely- to-do so-that the 'other .day heedecidecl- AO Offer , trete ,Intichts -'to any- who suc- teeded. Nobody's- won a free ,lunch His mainc?..-Georg, hoditnitrakonouleus. Quite a „ metitlefol, isn'tnit?. just.try pre- flouncing it yourself, Even ,eorrie ,the simplest- `looking Surbaince. ,are hard tci peoimithee. Cockbtirer Should be" nremnineed Xoinitn, not Cook: burn, for example s And 'Maihe nearing eetirids like Manneting and Compton likektiriinton. It was the gibitee arra you're ' arid aristoj.ratitiqoeking Voting men tvho brined ' "the 'British Arnie' in the tirst'Worle Wet that 'nobody • 'ever pebnounted hie " mite peitetectly. - It Was enelt "Beeetveater. • * -On Iiie mut Parade Private IltretWater" wore reteriedle. A forfeit:1e eeretterit Veiled to Mtn: "Private BeysWater, take -off tfi t window-pane!" iriltired Wee the Pei- Vete replied: "MY toned, serge ant ,14 Pretidonced 18'aSSiter not Tiaysivater.4 STIEL, JCA• - •ebtiretilerif toe. tayS. Mettle Windsor rrrovie'-star,. Her new litkk Htitetie Vearite her to 'keep' drt before the-edriierdi, BOYS i OMAN It 'happened ill fodiotiaoOffs but ft could happen It's iher bid :glory three bays ari-a,rtiike of -.flee tattle titriC.,aild oncoming fruCk. The boys were critically lUCky,.rtaf killed 'bUtright. Parainian tidy& imashed bike. Madrid 00k Iraffie Caph Ao.diy" jaeobt announced .pcnce' would mil:s the biker o etni' ryettii-Oitert caught eldirt4 'double or trirlle. • It's-,deodly," h6.