Some Headlines And Cutlines Try Hard To Insult Prince Charles’s Wife

I’ve read some mean comments from reporters about Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, during her visit with her husband, England’s Prince Charles, here in the United States. Other comments made up for the scathing ones.

The Nov. 1 New York Post had a front-page picture of Camilla. The headline said, “Queen Camilla Is New York’s Frump Tower,” and the cutline under the picture of her in a lovely blue velvet gown with a white chiffon collar, said, “A dowdy Camilla arrives in blue velvet at MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) last night.”

Did that reporter, a fashion editor, want a low-cut dress and a short one, way above her knees? That fashion expert wrote, in her Nov. 2 column, that Camille was “dressed in an unflattering Anthony Price navy velvet frock, with a fussy oversized collar of chiffon, looking more like an escapee from the choir boy pew of Westminster Abbey than the guest of honor.”

Another New York Post pictured Camilla, wearing the beautiful tiara which Queen Elizabeth gave her, and Charles, in uniform, with military badges on the jacket, with the headlines, “Glam Offensive” and “City Braces for Charles and Charge.” The cutline said, “British Invasion: Prince Charles and new bride, Camilla Parker Bowles, hit the town today for a whirlwind visit.”

Enough of the derogatory remarks. A male columnist in the Nov. 2 Post wrote that Camilla arrived “radiant in stunning crushed blue velvet dress with white collar: and then the crowd at the MoMA reception “erupted into roars.”

That was an excellent review, and I hope that Camilla read it. Charles told the crowd at that reception, “I’m so glad to be here in your country.”

Finally the Nov. 3 New York Times’ pleasant article’s headline was “Royal Couple Find Friends at White House and a School.”

At the evening reception, guests included Nancy Reagan, the former first lady, with Merv Griffin, the former television host, and a longtime friend, Tom Brokaw, former NBC news anchor; the designer Oscar de la Renta; the cellist Yo-Yo Ma (who played during the evening); Kelsey Grammer, the actor; and Michael Bechloss, the historian.

After the White House luncheon, Prince Charles and the duchess visited the SEED School, a college prep boarding school for children from poor and struggling families in one of Washington’s toughest neighborhoods, east of the Anacostia River. Laura Bush accompanied them.

The couple mixed easily and chatted with several students. Camilla asked one of the students about the food. The student responded, “Horrible, with a capital H.” One youngster, whom the prince shook hands with, said, “They were very warm. I didn’t feel they were high over us or anything. They just wanted to know about the school and about us.”

So this article ends on a happy note. The couple is now off for New Orleans and San Francisco, and should receive complimentary reviews in those location. They deserve them.

Westbrook Historical Society Met Nov. 2

The Nov. 2 meeting of the Westbrook Historical Society featured a show and tell program of family heirlooms. Nancy Curran, treasurer, opened the meeting in the absence of President Bob Smith. Donna Conley introduced the speakers. Bob Gordon, who was an elementary school teacher, has collected early textbooks, buying many of them at yard and book sales. He brought several from his collection, including a science book, spelling book, an old geography book, and a reading book. He mentioned that the reading book had come from a Portland school. Phil Curran, a member who edits our newsletter, asked “Which Portland school?” It was from the Woolson School, where Phil was a student!

Phil LaViolet brought his interesting collection of items from World War II, including ration books. He handed out copies of a ration guide, listing stamp books for sugar, gasoline, tires and fuel oil, and rules for each category.

Included in the K rations, in boxes the size of a Cracker Jack box, given to soldiers, were 4 cigarettes, 2 sticks of gum, 1 small envelope of instant coffee, 2 nutritional thick fruit bars and 2 large, thick, hard biscuits of nutritional value, which they nick-named “Dog Biscuits.”

Phil spoke of the “distasteful” instant coffee. In order to have hot water for it, soldiers sometimes had to pour water in their steel helmets (removing the plastic lining first) and heating the water over an open fire. They soaked those hard dog biscuits too.

A member in the audience mentioned C rations, which were quite an improvement over the K rations. It contained cans, of beef stew, hash, etc.

Women’s nylon stockings were very scarce. Phil mentioned long lines of buyers for a liquid to paint their legs a nylon color – but nothing to draw a line on the back of the leg, like a seam, he said.

All metallic (toothpaste) tubes, etc., must be squeezed empty, and turned in to the store, before receiving a new full one.

These were the war years (1942-1945) when those at home were having to scrimp, too.

Joan LaBrecque had many of her baseball-playing grandfather’s items on display – a cap, his glove, and several photos. He was Louis Tetrault, who played for the Fall River New England League team. It originated in New Britain, Conn. In an exhibition game in Portland, he played against Babe Ruth!

A member brought an interesting article, and an old one, a Shaker box which was in her great-grandmother’s home – or was it her great-great-grandmother’s?

This box was described in Warman’s “Antiques and Collectibles Price Guide, 2003, the 37th edition.” 5-1/3w, 2-1/2d, 2-1/8h; finger construction, two fingers, on base, one finger on lid. Copper tacks, old green repaint,” and a high price of $850! The box was exactly like this description, and still in good shape.

Another member brought a glass rose bowl that was her grandmother’s. It was also described in Warman’s and pictured, too. “Stevens & Williams, jeweled glass, sipper pattern, cranberry red, 12 tiny crimps, engraved registry number Rd 55693 on the polished pontil (bottom of the bowl).” That was the exact number on the bowl that was brought in, too. Society member Sam Broaddus was interested in the glass bowl, and he knows glassware well. His grandfather, Samuel Berry, was superintendent at the Whitall-Tatum Co. in Millville, N.J., where he worked until he was 78. When Sam was 10 years old, his grandfather started showing him around at the glass company, and later Sam worked there one summer. Our Westbrook Sam described the three big furnaces at the plant. I’m sure he has many interesting stories to tell, about that business.

On the display table at this meeting was a miniature wooden hope chest that belongs to the Society, contributed by Betty Moody. These little chests were given to graduating senior girls at Westbrook High School, by a local store. We wonder how many of those receiving these gifts still have them.

After the interesting meeting, embers enjoyed punch and many homemade breads, brownies, and cookies. That is an interesting part of these meetings, too!

RECIPE

This week’s recipe is from “Kitchen Kapers,” 1971, published by the Bicentennial Committee of the town of Milan, N.H. My father and his sisters and brothers were born on a farm in West Milan. It is a beautiful area near Berlin, N.H.

DREAM BARS

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup flour

2 Tbls. confectioner’s sugar

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup cherries, chopped

1 cup nuts, chopped

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter, 1 cup flour and confectioner’s sugar. Spread in 11 x 7″ pan. Bake for 5 minutes in 325 degree oven.

Beat eggs, add sugar and remaining ingredients. Pour over the base and bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes.

FROSTING

8 Tblsp. soft butter

2 Tblsp. milk

2 Tblsp. boiling water

1/2 box confectioner’s sugar

Beat and spread when bars are cool.

I used only half of the frosting ingredients and spread it thin.

Pauline C. Donovan, who submitted the recipe, called them Dream Bars, but I didn’t dream that they would take so long to prepare. But they were worth the time.

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