Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Thursday 1 October 1953, page 7


Women's Interests On The Air

In "Baby-To-Granny" Roles

QUEENIE ASHTON, the mother of a 20-year

old daughter, Janet, and an 18-year-old son, Tony, is to play the role of Baby, a child of six, in Ethel Turner's well-loved Australian classic "Seven Little Australians" when it begins as a serial on 2FC on Tuesday at 5.30 p.m.

"But," said Miss Ashton, I don't claim any record for it. I've played much younger children, from six-months-old babies that gurgle, upwards, through all the stages of their chatter. My experience with my own children helped in

those roles.

"I've been to the other end of the scale too, playing old ladies who could barely croak.

"One that comes to my mind was in a 2GB play we did for the Coronation about an Eng-lish family who were the counterparts of the Royal Family. I played the part of Queen Mary, who died, aged

MISS RUTH PREDDY, of Manly, who conducts "Calling All . Sports-women" on 2FC at 10.15

a.m. on Saturdays.

85, just before the play was produced."

In private life, Miss Ashton is Mrs. John Cover, with a home at Rose Bay. Her hus-band is a theatrical agent, with his wife's name among the list of 150 radio actors and actresses in his room at Cen-tral Casting Office.

A true Cockney, born within the sound of Bow Bells, Miss Ashton worked in musical comedy for the B.B.C. before she came to Australia in 1927, with "Sunny" the first show at the newly built Empire Theatre.

"Radio is my life," she says. "I feel that my domestic work interferes with my radio work, but all worries go when 1 get into the studio."

For relaxation, Miss Ashton makes all her own clothes and those of her daughter, who is

a nurse.

'Ethel Turner, now in her eighties, wrote the book when she was 21. It was her first published story, and probably, her most successful, published in 39 editions.

Some years ago, the story

was filmed in Australia, and it has just finished a presenta-tion on English television.

. . .

STOOL-BALL may not be

a modern game for young ladies, but in Old England, it was (he respected pastime of milkmaids, and in time be-came that "sport of gentle-men," cricket.

In "Sport the Old Way," to be heard on 2BL at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday, Charles Parr, an Oxford Don, traces the de-velopment of modern sports from as far back as 400 years.

A milkmaid, he found, would set up her milking stool as a wicket and guard it with her outstretched hand. A member of the opposing team of three would throw the ball towards her. If she struck the ball, she scored a point, if not, she was "out."

. * .

THE job of "Girl-Friday"

to the visiting temi of four American women Rolf professionals has cone to

¿ui. s Helen »locKman, wno

conducts the Sunday session, "Women In Sport."

Miss Stockman joined up with the team on their arrival yesleid.iy, and will tour Aus

ttalia with them

. . *

TI ID American soprano,

Lily Pons, will be fea-tured in next Saturday night's "Mobil Song" on 2GB at 9

p.r\

Entitled "The Song With a Heart," the programme tells how Lily Pons's friendship for a blind boy in Paris led to her being presented with the Nat-ional Bureau for Blind Artists' gold medal by Helen Keller, m recognition of her services on behalf of the sightless

Australian soprano Glenda Raymond will be heard as Lily Pons voice, and Bettine Kaultman /ill speak the part Robert Peach will play Marcel, the blind boy

. . .

VISITING American golf

professional, Miss Peggy Kirk, who reached Sydney yesterday, will be at least the 300th sportswoman Miss Ruth Preddy has interviewed in her wecklj A.B.C. session, "Call-ing All Sportswomen."

Miss Kirk will be heard in the session on 2FC at 10 15 a m on Saturday

Miss Preddy began the session about seven years ago She says that people who have travelled are less likely to have "nuke-fright" than the stay-at-homes, and oveiseas

visiiois are easier to interview than Australians

A keen sportswoman her-self-she was once an A grade cricket, hockey, and tennis player-Miss Preddy is still interested in golf, and plays at Leura and the Cromer Club at Deewhy.

MISS QUEENIE ASHTON (in pi wate life Mrs. John Cover, of Rose Bay), who will play the part of

Baby, a six-yeai -old, in "Seven Little Australians." >

"]D1GHT in the swim" ii already is 2SM announ-cer Tony Withers, who is to compere the Saturday after-noon programme "Sun-fare." In anticipation of some hot weather, the programme will take popular hits to 32 metro-politan beaches.

Known as "Mr. Surf," Mr. Withers is a member of 27 surf clubs and a vice-president of 14. He says he likes swim-ming, too.

. . .

"T/-NOCK On Every Door,"

.*? *? a 10.30 a.m. session due to start on 2UE on Monday, will attempt to set up a system of "exchange-help" among suburban housewives.

It will be a swap-shop of goods, advice, and help, in which announcer John "Hansberry will call, by request, on housewives, and do taperecorder interviews for later playing in the session.

* . *

WILFRID THOMAS has

discovered much about Britain's pet cats and dogs for his broadcast on Monday at 8.15 p.m. on 2FC. Fifteen women throughout the U.K. spend their days finding out what pets "think" about their food and drink and report their findings to a team of scientists at Mellon Mowbray.

The investigators, he says. quiz about 25.000 pel-owners a year. They have found that the average dog and cat owner spends about 4/9 a week on his pet (which comes to a lol of money-between £60 mil-lion and £70 million-con-sidering .there are six million cats and four million dogs in

Britain). ] J

Highlights of to-day's listening for «omen:

2TC. 10 10 Women's Session Sntc Round Up from Sydney by Nancy Holt, Marcare! Carpenter gives recipe for walnut biscuits interview with Diane Masters and flimhi Shmllh o7c Benjamin on Our Children 11 45 Talcs of Many 1 incls, 1 Blue Hills. 2, House-wives Choice. 5 15, Children's Ses-sion 6 45 Storms Petrel, 8 15, Hippy To Know Von

2111 . 9 10 Kindergarten of the Air, concluded by Joan Lcnnartz and rinn I hxman 10 Dally Devotional, IO IS Symphony Hour, 1 10, Young Australl i, 2, The Music I over, 3, Star Artist 4 15, The Best in Music, 7 20 Opera Curtain

2GB: 8 41, Being Met Together, 9, The Mystery of Nurse Lorimer 9 15, Iront Pace Lady, 9 30. Eric Parranl s Record Room, 10, House-wives' News, 12 45, True Confessions, 1, Manly Presents, request recordings and shopping hints for Manly listen-ers, 2 15, Our Town's Choice-music requests from Cunden housewives, 1, Fric Parrnnt Calling, 7 30 Leave Ii to the Girls, 8 30, Australia's Ama-teur Hour

2C1I: IO 30 Over the Years with Joan Reid compering, 11 45, Kitchen of the Air-recipes and hints, 12, CH Women's League-activities of the social bridge, and sports clubs in the leiguc, 12 10, Del Cartwright Session 2 Let s Talk It Over

2UF- Music until 12, when serial, "Storm Child," is heard, 3, Call from UE, 4 12, Little Pals-children's records 4 45, Rumpus Room, 7 15,

Diamonds of Death

2SM: 9. Home Folks-two hours of request music and messages from housewives, 4 45, Birthday Calls to Children, 5, Uncle John-children lake part In the programme from the studio *

2UW- Serials at Intervals from 9, 5, Teenage Club, 8. Alan Toohey comperes Amateur Hour

2KY: II 15, Women's Session, con ducted by Rona Wilkinson, 12, Top Tunes, 2 10, John Harper in Sub urbn 3 15, Accent on Melody, 6, Australians on Parade