C R S U A D E R
Springtime in Kent. On the brow of the hill is a characteristic oast house in which hops
are dried.
CRAZY CORPSES !
Thirteen top-line W est End stage and va
riety stars (unpaid) staggered the audience
at the Strand Theatre on the opening night
of the shocker, “Arsenic and Old Lace.''
The play concerns two “lacey” old spins
ters whose antidote to boredom is murder.
Together they are responsible for thirteen
corpses during the action of the play. The
audience .'howled when after the cast_ had
taken the curtain call, somebody called for
the corpses. On the stage, in full make-up
marched Flanagan and Allen, Robert Mor-
ley, Bobby Howes, Sydney Howard, Al
fred Drayton, Robertson Hare, Richard
Hearne, Tommy Trinder, Vic Oliver, Ar
thur Askey, Jerry Verno and Douglas Byng.
The thirteen corpses appeared for one night
only. Originator of the gag was variety’s
biggest leg-puller, Bud Flanagan.
* * *
WATER PITY !
London shares with the whole country in
the increase reported in beer drinking.
Where six pints were drunk before the
war, seven are now swallowed. Officials
state that the reason for the increased con
sumption is because the beer is weaker.
* * *
MINERS’ HOTEL
The Gleneagles Hotel has been reopened as
a rehabilitation centre for Scottish miners,
200 of whom can be accommodated at one
tim e.
Sotdiers of the Red Army, on a visit to
Britain, saw in production the famous six-
pounder gun. The soldiers ape members
of the Soviet Military Mission.
LOCAL GOVT. "GUINEA-PIGS"
Sixty members of the Weston-Super-Mare
Borough Council staff have volunteered for
a cold cure experiment under Dr Cyril East
wood, medical officer of health. Two groups
are daily taking capsules of vitamin con
centrates, while the remainder not taking
capsules are being used as a control. Re
cords of reactions are being- kept to see if
colds — most frequent cause of absentee
ism — can be diminished.
FELL FROM EXPRESS
M ichael Baker, aged seven, travelling with
his parents from Paddington to Aberdare,
South Wales, fell from a G.W.R. express
near Langley, Bucks, when the train was
travelling at full speed. The train was stop
ped and gangers found the boy on the grass
verge of the track practically uninjured. He
has now fully recovered.
* * *
LOWESTOFT CLIFF FALL
High tides and a heavy swell have recent
ly scoured away a considerable area of
cliff at Pakefield, near Lowestoft. A comer
of the old churchyard with its wall, has
gone, and the occupants of cottages have
been standing by ready to evacuate their
homes. Longshore fishermen, whose stores
were threatened, moved their gear and huts,
and afterwards saw the ground on which
they had stood collapse on to the beach.
* * *
COAL CROP RECORD
Last week Nottinghamshire miners brought
to the surface the largest amount of coal
ever produced in a similar period in the
history of the country’s coalfields.
HIGHBROWS HEATED !
The Incorporated Society of Musicians un
animously adopted the following resolution
at its annual meeting in London :
“This meeting views with apprehension
the continued debasement and mutilation of
the classics by dance band leaders and
others. Such a habit, contrary both to good
taste and good manners, should not be
tolerated in an enlightened community.”
* * *
REMOVALS BY GLIDER
Gliders were used recently for the first
time by a Mustang squadron of the R.A.F.
Army Co-operation Command to transfer
the entire ground and clerical staffs of the
squadron from one airfield to another. The
operation was completed in one hour. The
gliders were piloted by sergeant-pilots of
an Airborne Division and were towed by
twin-engined bombers.
* * *
WATER BY PARACHUTE
British Overseas Airways aeroplanes will
soon carry parachute water containers to
be dropped on survivors from ships. The
suggestion was made by Captain A. G.
Store who piloted the flying boat Berwick
when it helped save 20 survivors in a ship’s
boat off the coast of Liberia recently.
* * *
C.I.D. CHIEF FOUND SHOT
Detective-supt. Cyril George Boneham,
chief of the Coventry C.I.D. has been found
dead in his office with a bullet wound in
his head and a revolver lying near.
* * *
BLANKETS SAVE FUEL
HI embers of the Select Committee on equal
war injury compensation wrapped their feet
and legs in blankets which were provided
in a room of the House of Commons last
week. In order to save fuel the room was
not centrally heated.
* * *
BRIGHTER BLACK-OUT
London buses and trams are now allowed
better lighting during the black-out. Strong
er lamps are being fitted, and it will be
possible to fit 55 buses with producer-gas
plant, thereby effecting a saving of
3,500.000 gallons of petrol a year.
H.M .S. Royal Eagle’ ', one of the largest
paddle steamers afloat in European waters,
carried thousands of peace time pleasure
makers from Tower Bridge to Southend and
Ramsgate. She now has a distinguished
battle, record, and picture shows ratings
filling pom-pom ammunition belts on board.
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