Saturday, August 13, 2016

Wait for Me! -- Harrods

A continuing series of Neels-ian excerpts from the autobiography ("Wait for Me!") of Deborah Mitford, Duchess of Devonshire:

Long after the war was over, my sisters and I used Harrods Bank as a meeting place. Conveniently situated on the ground floor (which is now all marble and make-up), the Bank had green leather chairs and sofas. Our dogs joined the Kensington ladies' Pekes and Poms in the Harrods underground kennels, while we sat above them, chatting and watching the world go by. Sometimes Muv and Aunt Weenie met us there and the real customers stared when we made too much noise. The Bank hosted a carol service every Christmas, where God, Aunt Weenie, Muv and mammon met. I cannot imagine such a performance in Cosmetics now, where supercilious girls sell ultra-packaged face creams.

A kennel? The rich are not like you and me... 

1 comment:

  1. Ooooh, great find, Betty Keira!
    Cozy little meetings - at the bank!
    Carol service "where God, Aunt Weenie, Muv and mammon met" - gotta love her style!

    NOT ONCE BUT TWICE
    She was free that afternoon, and encouraged by the visit to the hairdresser's, she rushed off to a beauty parlour, where a supercilious young woman examined her face from all angles, pointed out its defects with the remark: 'I always think it's best to tell the truth, don't you, madam?' and then went to work with a will.
    Christina was almost afraid to look in the mirror when she was finished, and when she did she gave a gasp.

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