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Zurich Herald, 1955-06-30, Page 6Thrill Tales Of Great Speed Demons High powered engines snarling in the distance above the seeth- hiss of rain, the fast-growing dots that were the leading cars bobbed towards the big double bend in the Grand Prix of Monte Carlo. The spectators craned forward anxiously, seeing the ugly spread of oil that a broken- down car had dumped on the treacherous track. As the leader shot into the bend he slithered wildly, out of control, and crashed into a smok- ing heap. The second car fol- lowed suit . . . then the third, which took the grinding tear- ing impact of the next two. The sixth car was already on top of the corner. Its driver, his foot hard down, was making no at- tempt to slow. Slamming his wheels from side to side faster than the eye could follow he not only sent his scar- let Alfa Romeo thundering and sliding safely through the oil, but mirculoulsy missed the five wrecks that were piled up all around him. Those who saw it— the year was 1935—vow there bas never been such a display of racing skill and daring. But they'll also tell you that the driver was the greatest ever. The magnificent "11 Maestro " The Flying Mantuan. "Nobody who knows anything about it will argue the proposi- tion that Tazio Nuvolari was the greatest driver who ever held the wheel of an automobile," writes Ken Purdy in "The Kings Of The Road", an absorbing book about great cars and drivers. He was never smooth and im- perturbable like Caracciola and Louis Chiron and the other fabulously good drivers who came up against him. He yelled, shook his fist, bounced up and down like a jack-in-the-box while he drove with one hand and beat on the side of the oar with the other. But none of them could get around corners like him. He broke all the rules. He would go into a corner straight and come out sliding—or power - slide the whole way through. He could corner without touching his brakes, using only gears and throttle. He could skid a car through a curve at 150 m.p.h. with his front wheels inches from the fence all the way round. Born in 1892, little Tazio Nu- volari first showed his contempt for danger as a boy when one of the early wood -and -wire planes crashed near his home in the tiny village of Castel d'Ario, in the province of Manua. He salvaged the wreck, rebuilt it, then hoisted it up to the roof, tied it to the chimney,' and cranked the engine. When the prop was turning he cut the rope and took off. It was a dramatically short flight — straight down — and little Tazio was picked up with a broken back, the first of seven major smash-ups he was to have. As a young man he worked off his passion for speed on motorbikes, winning some 300 races in Italy and abroad. Once at Monza he was in plaster on the day of a race, forbidden to move for a month. But he made his friends carry him on to the track and strap him to his bike. He knew he could stay on once he was moving. He did. And won. In 1927 he won his first car race, and from then on domin- ated the tracks, the only driver to win every grand prix in 'the calendar. In 1933, a typical year, he entered fifteen races and won ten of them—including the Mille Mielia and Le Mans. He was ruthless in his me- thods. One of his tricks was to make faces in the mirror of the man in front. When he looked round, Nuvolari would slam his foot down and go thundering past him. He even admitted to distracting another driver's at- tention by throwing crackers behind his car! To win his second Mille Mie,- 11a—toughest of them all -he knew he had to ,pass Achille Varzi in the last 100 miles. 'Co outwit his great rival, he drove for sixty miles over the pitch - SALLY'S SALLIES "Why, it looks as if you had your picture on the Well!" black country roads with all his lights turned off. Then suddenly switched them on when he was within feet of Varzi, dazzling and blinding him as he went blast- ing past him to win by 500 yards. One of his last races was the 1950 Monte Pellegrino, w} en he was fifty-eight. He went` into a skid and one of his tortured tyres spun in empty air over a precipice: but he fought for control, got the car back, and then went on to win. Another time he had to quit a blazing car. He got his speed down to 100 m.p.h. Then jumped and within two weeks was back at the wheel. Some drivers used to say that in a race against the devil they'd have bet on Nuvolari! He lived for racing. But the fumes that continually rasped his lungs finally finished him. His doctors told him he would have to stop driving. So he tied a cloth around his mouth and carried on. The great blow came when his entry in the 1953 Mille Miglia was rejected. He had nothing to live for then. He went home to his bed and died—some say of a broken heart. Casserole hiss Novel publicity stunts are the order of the day in every line of business. The exclusive and ultra -expensive Paris restau- rant, Laserre, where diners have an automatic chance to win an invitation to another meal on the house, or a number of bot- tles of champagne, on certain days of the week, certainly had an original idea when the "Lucky Dove" formula was, in- stituted. When the room is crowded with elegant diners and cham- pagne corks are a -popping, the chef brings in a giant copper casserole and lifts the lid . . . Luck Doves No succulent smell escapes, but a flight of doves. They cir- cle the room, unflurried by their suroundings, and soon set- tle on an' outstretched arm or friendly shoulder. Thoseupon whom the doves' choice falls are winners in the "free dinner and champagne game" and a scrambled hair -do is a small price to pay for the chance to enjoy the hospitality of this famous restaurant. (The winner in our illustration is thanking her dove in an ap- propriate fashion — with a kiss.) So rich is the cooking, so heady the wines that many have come away in the evening to suffer next morning. To regular customers the house offers a charming and practical little token in the form of a tiny silver casserole to hang on a charm bracelet, watch -chain or key -ring. Lift the lid and in- side you will find two aspirin tablets — the management feels you may require them next Morning! But toevery holder of the silver saucepan it offers a free drink at the bar while you wait for your lunch or dinner date. 1 r 1 Fashion H6 n is r r o FASHION IN WOOL: Town or travelling suit in red and white lightweight wool tweed. The straight jacket hes a !ow yoke effect and buttoned half -belt in the back. 9,821 Colas in the Fountain The Guide -Dog Association in Johannesburgrecently hit upon a novel idea to make money. City people were told to throw a coin into the fountain in the foyer of Johanesburg's railway station and to make a wish. 9,821 coints were found in the fountain in ten days. The total collected was £150 18s. 8d. A tally of heads showed that just over 3,000 people threw in coins, subcopsciously perhaps following the old Roman custom of throwing three coins in the Trevi fountain to make a wish. So . the Guide -Dog Association netted a rich harvest. TAilL .rnrtl vsareeeke Cia= A air .ws . For summer receptions, par- ties or family get-to-gethers nothing is more attractive than a punch bowl filed with a color- ful, cooling beverage. The fol- lowing recipes, all non-alcoholic of course, may give you some ideas the next time you — or your committee — are called on to entertain, The quantities may be varied to suit the num- ber you• expect to serve. 4 ge * * If you like decorative ice cubes, fill cube trays about lie full of water. Add a maraschino cherry or a wedge of lemon or orange or a sprig of mint in each section and freeze. When firm, fill rest of tray with water and continue freezing. A satis- fying lemon flavor may be added to your drink with lem- onade cubes made by pouring plain lemonade into ice trays and freezing it. * This cool, tangy Orange Blos- som Punch is easy to prepare and serve. It serves 25-30 guests. ORANGE BLOSSOM PUNCH 6 cups fresh orange juice 1 cup fresh lemon juice Iii cup maraschino cherry juice 4 cups ginger ale (water may be used instead) ',a cup sugar 2 quarts orange or lemon sherbet Combine all ingredients ex- cept sherbet. Just before serv- ing, put sherbet in bottom of punch bowl. Pour chilled punch over sherbet and garnish with orange blossoms. Serve immedi- ately. This punch contains the fruit as well as juice of the shredded pineapple and fresh or frozen strawberries from which it is made. SPARKLING FRUIT PUNCH 1 cup hulled strawberries 1 cup shredded pineapple 6 tablespoons lemon juice 1 cup sugar 1 bottle (quart) ginger ale Place strawberries and pine- apple in bowl; add lemon juice and sugar; crush berries slight- ly. Let stand half an hour. Add ginger ale, stir well, and pour over ice cubes in punch bowl. Garnish with lemon slices and whole strawberries. Makes about 16 punch cups. :a * *: Spices added to fruit juices make a delicious beverage. It is simple to make spiced .sirup in advance and store it in a tight screw-top jar for last-minute mixing, Add to the spiced sirup whatever fruit juices you think taste best with it. The following recipe makes 14 punch cups. SPICED FRUIT JUICE SIRUP: 1 cup sugar 1 cup' water 1 tablespoon corn sirup 1 tablespoon whole cloves 2 pieces stick cinnamon (1 inch long) Combine water and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves: Add sirup, cloves and cinnamon. Simmer 15 minutes. Strain; cool. JUICES: 1 can frozen orange juice Pcu4skin HITTING THE SILK AS A MODEL, Colette Duval gets ready to go to work in Paris fashion salon to pay for hobby she loves. By ROSETTE HARGROVE NEA Staff Correspondent PARIS—When she was a little girl in Normandy, Colette Du- vall was considered, an irrepres- siible tomboy, For six months during the war, she was the mas- cot of a French infantry unit. At 16, she took up gliding; at 20, she made her first parachute jump. Today, at 24, Collette holds the women's world record for de- layed -drop jumping and the rec- ord for jumping with an oxygen inhalator, both accomplished in: a free fall from almost 22,000 feet to 1,300 feet, where she pull- ed the rip cord. Since parachuting is a luxury sport, Colette earns the money to .pay for it by rnodeling Paris creations in a swans Avenue 111,4 S DRESSED FOR JUMP, Colette holds equipment she designed. Matignon salon in Paris Myers, Sunday from May to October she spends jumping. "Often," explains Colette, "1 have been so black and blue 1 could hardly show evening gowns." .. N. N.* Colette is one of about 1,00C 'chutists .in l+ranae, where it's a popular sport among enthusi- asts frornn every social class. Only fixe Russia is the 'chuting prate, ills T 1 can frozen runc*xotu.ete for lemonade 1 can (18 ounce) pieeappl.e juice Dilute frozen orange juice and frozen lemonade concentrate ac- cording to a direction on cans. Combine 2 cups of each with the pineapple juice. Combine these mixed juices with the spiced sirup. Chill .Top with pineapple sherbet when serving. * * For punch in a 'bright pink color, try this refreshing drink which has cranberry juice add- ed to lemon ' and orange juice. Chill it with ice and decorate with mint. PINK PUNCH 3 one -pint bottles cranberry juice 3 cups strained orange juice Ph cups strained lemon juice 21/2 cups light corn sirup 3 cups carbonated water (lee cold) Combine sirup and fruit juices; stir until well mixed. Chill thoroughly. Add carbonat- ed water just before serving. Serve over ice. Makes 1 gallon. * k Here's a punch made of dried apricots, cooked, sieved, and mixed with honey for a special, delicate sweetening.Garnish it with orange and lemon slices. APRICOT AMBROSIA PUNCH 1 pound dried apricots 1 cup honey 2 cups orange juice 2 cups lemon juice 2 cups apple juice 2 quarts ice cold . sparkling water. Cook apricots until soft; press, through sieve, Add honey and mix well. Combine fruit juices. Add to apricot -honey mixture. Mix well. Chill. Pour over ice in punch bowl.. Just before serving add sparkling water. * Perhaps you like the sweet taste of niarshrnallows in your drink. • Here is a punch which uses them. FRUIT MALLOW FLIP 2 cups boiling water lie pound marshmallows (abut 32) 1ee cups lemon juice 1 cup orange juice sz cup unsweetened pineapple juice In a saucepan, combine boil- ing water and marshmallow; stir until marshmallows are completely dissolved, Cool. fAdd fruit juices and water; .mix welI. Serve over ice. MERRY MENAGERIE "You just keep nibbling for a couple of hours, and thenthey throw it at you!" ys tee s. HITTING THE SILK AS 'CI•IUTIST, Colette gets ready to collapses parachute on which she rode to a 07oinen's record delayed drop:. tired on a wider scale as a sport. Despite her success as a model. Colette has no; interest in clothes, Nor is she interested in domestic life. "If I married I would have to give up parachuting," she ex- plains, tier parachute, which hat; seen her through 150 jumps, is her best friend, She has design• ed and patex`ited a pew friend -- an apparatus she carries with her on jumps that combines chrono- meter, altimeter, oxygen tank and spare parachute. A year ago she turned profes- sional and gets from $75 to $100 per jump at meetings all over France. But her big dream is to jump from 32,500 feet so she cam, break the world record, now held by a Russian. "It's so much Veer up there than on the grafi ocl," says Cole ette.