| |
Even shorter
than the list of living interviewees was the list of suitable ladies,
and we were humbled when Miss Martindale, our first choice, agreed to
reply. This remarkable lady had succeeded in the formidable task of attaining
the Chappist ideal of life from the feminine perspective. Naturally she
was asked to pen a regular column, and, now, only a year or two later,
that wish has become a reality. The Chap was humbled to welcome Miss Martindale
as the authoress of the Silver Vixen, our ladies' column appearing from
issue 23. |
|
| |
Where
do you think the best-dressed people are?
Mostly
in the grave, unfortunately, but some are in the Graben. The Vienna State
Opera still attracts some delightfully dressed people.
Which items in your personal
wardrobe are you particularly attached to?
My fur stoles,
which one can wear in all but the hottest weather. I realise that some
people strongly object to fur, but even if they did not I think I should
still wear them.
What single situation has
been the greatest challenge to your wardrobe and your personal grooming
skills?
Travelling
on any form of public transport - a thing which I very rarely do, owing
to the declining standards of the public.
Who, in your opinion, is or
was the quintessential English gentleman?
The English
gentleman may take many forms. Lord Henry Wotton from The Picture
of Dorian Gray is one form of perfection - unfortunately Wotton by
name, wotten by nature, but we were not speaking of morality, were we?
Another face is presented by Michael Wilding, especially in his films
with Anna Neagle, most notably Maytime in Mayfair. If one does
not object to a little camp, John Steed might be another choice.
Such a pity James Bond was never played by a gentleman, or at least an
actor capable of imitating one. And now it is too late.
What advice would you give
to a young woman who aspires to being a lady?
She should
acquire the latest copy of Cosmopolitan magazine. Read it carefully
from cover to cover, and do the precise opposite.
What items of clothing do
you consider the height of vulgarity?
Modern "sports
wear" worn for anything other than games - or, come to that, for
games.
Which aspects of contemporary
life cause you the most annoyance?
Being a seceded
lady, contemporary life is something with which, I am glad to say, I have
little to do. Positively, therefore, it causes me very little
annoyance. Negatively it causes me a great deal. The problem
is not what it is, but the void it has created; the
absence of a world in which one can live and move, outside a few select
drawing rooms.
What quality would you say
has been the greatest benefit to your love life?
My looking
glass. I hasten to add that this is because it allows me to maintain a
pleasing and elegant appearance - not because it allows me to behold the
object of my desire.
|
|
