The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-07-03
From the London Times

II y it is alleged, have been made n
 ships. During the armistice period it looks as if even greater for tunes were to be made by the owners of all kinds of river craft. The demand for boats and punts this weekend has been enormous as the prices charged. It seemed as if all Londoners who owned white dress and white flan- nels had rushed to the river to sees relief from the blazing sunshine in cool backwaters and in pleasant tree- -shad- ed stretches. The cost of pleasure can never have been so high-but that was no deterrent. Punt-owners charged what they liked and proprietors of riverside hotels unhesitatingly directed their perspirtng and temporary walters to present preposterous bills just as perspiringly and unhesitatingly paid by the crowd of Epicureans.
 London was determined to go on the rlver this weekend. It would have taken far more than the riverside pro- llteer to keep them off it. From Rich mond to Hampton Court and beyond. the most accessible stretch. the river was crowded with gay, lightIy-clad parties. Countless gramophones rent the heavy warm air with popular tunes. 'Helen-Heleh-H of Troy" rose from a boat the occupants of | which had only sex as a point of re- semblance to that lady. Whateves you went the tune of the jazz floated over the waters. and in the pleasing l figure of speech of Canada, slightly adapted, everybody was packing a river jazz"
 Pleasure, riotous pleasure was the order of the day It was difficult to look at the river crowd and realize that year ago these same people were thrilled with horror at the wanton bombing of the hospitals of Etaples; that they took their war as intensely as their pleasure. But it is as well, perhaps, that memories are short-lived and that in sight of the first June roses people should think of pleasant CT things. Of course, the war has made a difference. The river girl sans cavalier, almost sans clothes in some cases, is nearly the rule now rather than the exception. In those distant 1914 days it was a minority of women whose pearly teeth gripped 1 amber Cor imitation) cigarette holden now it is the minority who do not. There are more colours on the river | The ie,1neSSaa doraa haS foreol-op tb a rather drab colours of the Footing Bee Tennis club and is now bedecked in the i colours of the historic regiment in which he gained his commission. His Amaryllis too, sports his colours and a badge-the military element is still with us.
 Perhaps what strikes most with a note of sadness is the great number of mained young men. There seem to be mainly limbless youths. Too often with a paddle-too often the girl her boy up the steps of the landing stage-too often. mid jokes and laugh ter, she has to help to feed him. This | is a side we would rather not have with us-the regrettable part of the cost. But it is pleasing to see the good
 -almost high-spirits of these vic inns of Mars-and Venus. At various places on the river col lection of musical instruments-more or less in unison-could be heard rem | dering popular melodies fortissimo Some were perched on gilded band stands, some wore peripatetic, some were solo efforts-a study in light and shade. One of the best heard on Sat
 urday was composed of four dischars. ed soldiers with II wound stripes be. ltween them. who played rousine marches to rather apathetic gather.
 ing of disappointed searchers aftel beer. Even these musicians had faller to the prevailing colour fashion, ant their rakish straw hats were decorat
 ed with ribbons suspiciously like thu
 Eton Ramblers!
 During the day everything was. il anything. a little too garish. There iwere too many purple faces az stou