The Daily Telegraph from London, Greater London, England • 23

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15. 1994 23 COURT AND SOCIAL Courti Circular WINDSOR CASTLE June 14th Queen, with The Duke of Edinburgh, honoured Ascot Races with The her Lord presence today. Somerleyton had the honour of being received by Her Majesty when The Queen invested him with the Insignia a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order. BUCKINGHAM PALACE June 14th The Duke of York, Patron, Whitbread Round the World Race, this evening presented the prizes at the Brewery, Chiswell Street, London Neil Blair, RN, was in attendance. THATCHED HOUSE LODGE June 14th Princess Alexandra this afternoon visited Norfolk and was received by Her Majesty's for Norfolk (Mr Timothy Colman).

Her Royal Highness opened the new Hall at St Mary's Church, Attleborough, and subsequently opened Lambert House for the Norfolk Autistic Society at 36 Notridge Road. Bowthorpe, Norwich. Finally Princess Alexandra, President, visited the Imperial Cancer Research Fund Shop at 63 London Street, Norwich. The Lady Mary Colman was in attendance. The Prince of Wales will visit Tower Bridge on June 30 on the 100th anniversary of its opening.

The Princess Royal will visit Fairthorne Manor YMCA National Centre. Curdridge, near Southampton, on June 22. TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS Sir Thomas Armstrong, Principal, Royal Acadamy of Music, 1955-68, is 96; Miss Mary Ellis, actress and singer, 94: Adml Sir Charles Madden, C-in-C Home Fleet, 1963- 65. 88; the Trevor Huddleston, President, AntiApartheid Movement, 81; Mr J.S. Morrison, President of Wolfson College, Cambridge, 1966-80, 81; Lord Murray, a Senator of the College of Justice in Scotland, 72; Sir Ninian Stephen 71; Dr D.H.

Newsome, Master of Wellington College, 1980-89. 65; Mr Geoffrey Parsons, concert accompanist, 65; Sir John Fretwell, former diplomat, 64; Air Chief Marshal Sir Joseph Gilbert, Deputy C-in-C. Allied Forces Central Europe. 1986-89, 63; Sir David Alliance, Chairman, Coats Viyella, 62; Mr Simon Callow, actor and director. 45: and Mr John Redwood, MP, Secretary of State 1 for Wales, 43.

Today is the anniversary of the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215 and of the first Atlantic nonstop flight by Alcock and Brown in 1919. FORTHCOMING MARRIAGES Mr J.C. Swann and Miss P.M. Baston The engagement is announced between Jonathan, elder son of Sir Michael Swann, of Fulham, London, and Mrs Lydia Swann, of Flimwell, East Sussex, and Polly, elder daughter of Commander and Mrs David Baston, of Compton Dundon. Somerset.

Mr N.C. Gilman and Miss R.J. Pickles The engagement is announced between Nicholas. son of Mr and Mrs R.F.B. Gilman, of Islip, Oxford, and Rachel, daughter of Dr and Mrs R.W.

Pickles, of Windsor, Berks. Mr J.J. Halliley and H. Wolowiec The engagement is announced between John Justin, only son of Mr and Mrs Christopher Halliley, of Pinewood House. Prestbury, Cheshire, and Halley, youngest daughter of Mr L.

Wolowiec and Mrs B. Ellerbee. of Houston. Texas. USA.

Mr A.B. Jacobs and Miss S.E. Barnes The engagement is announced between Andrew, son of Mr and Mrs Allan Jacobs, of Penn, and Susan, daughter of Mr and Mrs Richard Barnes, of Chesham. Mr D.M. Lamb and Miss N.F.

Webster The engagement is announced between David, only son of Mr and Mrs Donald Lamb, of Holbrook, Derbyshire, and Nicola, eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Mark Webster, of Ticknall, Derbyshire. Mr A.S. Ramsay and Miss B. Masterson The engagement is announced between Alan. eldest son Mr and Mrs.

Andrew Ramsay. of Sevenoaks. Kent. and Belinda. youngest daughter of Mr and Mrs Bernard Masterson.

of Mulrany, Co Mayo. Mr A. Kimm and Miss A. Garvie The engagement is announced between Austin, son of Mr Eric Kimm, of Billinge, St Helens. and Mrs Anne Dexter, of Heswall, Liverpool, and Alison, Mr and Mrs Allan Garvie, of Ravelston, Edinburgh.

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL The 1994 annual general meeting of convocation, at which both the election of representatives of Convocation on Court and the election of the Standing Committee of Convocation will take place. will be held on Saturday. July 23. 1994. at 10.30 am in the Winston Hall of the Students' Union, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1LN.

All graduates and academic staff of the University are welcome to attend. Further information and the current Convocation Booklet may be obtained from Dr M.J. Crossley Evans, FSA, Clerk to Convocation. University of Bristol, Senate House, Bristol, BS8 1TH. SERVICE DINNER HMS Victory Adml Sir Michael Layard, Second Sea Lord and C-in-C Naval Home Command, and Lady Layard were hosts at a dinner on board the flagship HMS Victory Then Portsmouth last night.

guests included: Mr Joseph and Lord Justice ButlerSloss. Gen Sir Michael and Lady Wilkes. Vice- Adml Sir FitzRoy and Lady Talbot. Vice- Sir David and Lady Dobson. Rear- Adml and Mrs Neil Rankin and the Very Rev Trevor and Mrs Beeson.

DR PHILIP HELLIWELL A service of thanksgiving for the life of Dr Philip Helliwell, Consultant Anaesthetist Emeritus to Guy's Hospital and Clinical Superintendent from 1967 to 1975, will be held in Guy's Hospital Chapel, St Thomas Street, SEl, on Wednesday, July 13 at noon. BRIDGE RESULTS By Our Bridge Correspondent Horsham Bridge Club. with the pairing of Andrew Southwell and Matthew Hoskins, submitted the highest British score in the Epson Worldwide Bridge Contest at the weekend. Their score. 76.85 per cent, will rank highly on the worldwide list collated today.

An entry of 100,000 people in 90 nations played the same set of deals in a- 24-hour period. The London heat was won by Tom Workman and Bill Clow of Scotland. Mr Workman is the current president of the British Bridge League, and Mr Clow past president of the Scottish Bridge Union. Leading British scores: 1 A Southwell Hoskins (Horsham) 76.8: 2 Kish Henderson (Kingston) 72.0: 3 Hell McAughey (Derryvolgie) 71.4: 4 Dunkley O'Donnell (Titchfield) 70.7: 5 Climer Mottram (Barry) 70.7. The teams event at the Malvern Congress was decided by a split tie: Main trophy winners: Teams: Russell (Oxon Hereford) from Newton (Worcester): Pairs: Dr.

A. Williams A Munro (Worcs): Mixed Pairs: Cooke A Boot (Sheffield): Men's Pairs: Hicks Quick (Avon): Women's Pairs: Leary Flowerdew (Avon): Mixed Teams: Dr A Williams (Worcs). NEWS OBITUARIES Air Chief Marshal Sir Walter Dawson AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR DAWSON, who has died aged served in the RAF for more years, rising from junior mechanic become a member of the Air "Tubby" Dawson had a breadth of experience. During Second World War he was an Coastal Command station and also served as director of boat operations at the height of the Atlantic. In 1946 Dawson, then an air dore, was appointed Air Officer manding Levant in the turbulent before the creation of the Israel, when Arab fought Jew British incurred the hostility of Few could have been better for this unenviable posting.

familiar with the region from Iraq in the 1920s, when the RAF the deserts, enabling the to reduce the Army presence. His rience of maritime operations invaluable when he was required air-power to identify illegal shipping and assist in the Royal sea blockade of Palestine. The volatile circumstances Dawson to act with unusual which he enjoyed but required much tact. It was to lose aircraft, equipment and terrorist attacks, and Dawson quently called upon to defuse situations. He directed the RAF's protection the Army, and employed two the RAF regiment, including armoured car squadrons, to number of casualties arising terrorist activities.

When the British Army withdrew June 1948 Dawson offered it tection as he could. Then, his almost accomplished, he moved his headquarters to Phoebe ordered four Spitfires to make bratory -past off Haifa. That was awarded the DSO. There remains an unusual to his service in the region a hard sand in the Jordan desert, lished for RAF use 1947, is Dawson's Field. In the 1970s DOM AELRED SILLEM, the former abbot of Quarr, who has died aged 85, was one of the last survivors of a celebrated row at Downside Abbey which led the historian David Knowles to leave in 1933.

Downside. the senior English Benedictine community, had entered the 20th century and its fourth century of existence on a tide of success, with high standards of spiritual and liturgical life and an increasingly successful public school in Somerset. But in the early 1930s Knowles, a monk who had given up novel reading as an unjustifiable secular pursuit. criticised the abbey's close relationship with the school and called for a purely contemplative daughter house. He attracted half a dozen younger followers with an inclination towards a life free of outside distractions.

Dom Aelred. a friend of Knowles boyhood, was sympathetic. But on his return from Munich, where he had been theology, he was to find studying, a fully fledged party, known as "'the Knowles's support fell away in the face of his increasingly confrontational manner which the charitable suggested was the result of a car crash and his plea for a contemplative daughter house was refused. He was then ordered by Abbot John Chapman, prob- ALEC NOVE, the Russianborn former Professor of Economics at Glasgow University, who has died aged 78. was once greeted by Mikhail Gorbachev as "the who knows more than anyone else about the Soviet economy Nove was a prolific and influential student of Russian affairs, whose advice was sought by successive British governments.

He talked with animation and authority cultural and political subjects, and was particularly knowledgeable about Stalin. His forte was the Soviet economy, of which he became so formidable a critic that he was for many years denied a visa to enter the Soviet Union. Herva Nelli as Aida WAY OF THE WORLD WALTER 92, than 40 to Council. prodigious the effective commander anti-Uthe Bat- Mr J.W.McA. Baker and Miss S.E.

King The engagement is announced between James, son of John Baker, of Tugby. Leicestershire, and Susan. daughter of Mr and Mrs King, of East Bridgford. Nottinghamshire. Mr A.G.

Forrest and Miss L.J. Stimson The engagement is announced between Alastair, elder son of Mr C.G. Forrest and the late Mrs M.E. Forrest, of Reigate, Surrey, and Lucilla, only daughter of Mr and Mrs W.A.M. Stimson, of Havant, Hampshire.

Mr R.L.A. English and Miss C.J. Burrows The engagement is announced between Rupert, son of Mr and Mrs Peter English, of Argyll Road, London, W8, and Carey, daughter of Mr and Mrs Richard Burrows, of Barham Hall. Barham. Ipswich.

Suffolk. Mr J.N.W. Smart and Miss A.J.L. Harris The engagement is announced between Jeremy, youngest son of Mr and Mrs Peter Smart. of Jordans, Buckinghamshire, and Amanda, elder daughter of Mr and Mrs John Gordon- of Bexhill, East Sussex.

IN MEMORIAM Col Sir John Tilney The Speaker was represented by Mr James Hill, MP, at a service of thanksgiving for the life of Col Sir John Tilney held yesterday at St Margaret's Church. Westminster Abbey. Canon Donald Gray officiated and Canon Huw Thomas led the prayers. Mr Tony Hunter-Tilney (stepson) read from Sir John's 4 Dream and Mr Ludovic HunterTilney (stepgrandson) from his I am learing now. Mr Hugh Tilnev read Tennyson's For I dipt into the future.

Baroness Thatcher and Sir Thatcher attended. Edward Heath. MP. was represented by Sir Timothy Kitson. Father Norman Brown and the Rev Charles Robertson were robed and in the sanctuary.

Among others present were: Dame Guinevere Tilney (widow). Mrs Tony Hunter- Tilney (stepdaughter-in-law). Miss Sophie HunterTilney (stepgranddaughter). Mrs Hugh Tilney. Miss Effie Barker.

Lt-Col G.H. R. Tilney, Mr Tilney. Mr and Mrs R.H. Murray- Miss Cornelia Faulkner.

Mr Hylton MurrayPhilipson. Miss Suzie Dolbey. Miss Kate Straker. Mrs Alan Phillpots. Mrs R.I..

Saunders. Mr H.A. ColvinMrs K. M. Tilney.

Mr and Mrs Jonathan Tilnev. Mrs Barker. Mr and Mrs J. Barker. Mr and Mrs C.

Barker. Mrs M. Wright. Miss Diana Rhodes. Capt C.T.F.

Fagan and Mrs Fagan. Lord Lieutenant for Hampshire. The Dowager Duchess of Hamilton, the Duchess of Hamilton. Viscount Leverhulme. Viscount and Viscountess Whitelaw.

Viscount Tonypandy, Lord Boyd-Carpenter. Lord and Lady Campbell of Croy. Lord and Lady Carr of Hadley. Lord and Lady Colnbrook. Lord Lady Elton.

Anne. Lady Elton, Lord and Lady Fanshawe of Richmond, Lord Howe of Aberavon. QC. Lord and Lady Langford. Elizabeth, Lady Maclean, Lord and Lady Orr- Ewing.

Lord Pender, Baroness Pike. Lord and Lady Pym, Lady Reigate, Lord Renton, QC. Lady Wakeham. Lord Weatherill. Lord and Lady Wolfson of Sunningdale.

The Secretary of State for National Heritage: Mr Richard Ryder, MP. and Mrs Ryder. Mr Nicholas Scott. MP. Mr and Mrs Enoch Powell.

the Hon Malcolm and Mrs Davidson. the Hon Owain Rowley-Conwy, the Hon John and Mrs Rowley-Conwy. the Hon Nicholas Assheton. the Ion Mrs Peebles, the Hon Mrs Skinner. the Hon Mrs Andrew.

the Hon W.R.S. and Mrs Neave. the Hon Patrick Neave. the Hon Caroline Parr. Sir Patrick and Lady Grant of Dalvey.

Sir Giles Loder. Sir Anthony and Lady Mever. Sir Brian Warren. Lady Aird. Sir Philip Holland.

St Margaret's Church. Westminster Abbey, and Lady Holland. Lady Creswell. Lady de Freitas. Sir Douglas and Lady Dodds-Parker.

Sir Charles Fletcher- Cooke. QC. Sir Anthony and Lady Garner. Sir Victor Goodhew. Gen Sir Michael Gow.

Sir David and Lady Lidderdale. Sir Gilbert Longden. Col Sir Gerard McClellan. Sir Ronald Millar. John and Lady Peel.

Sir John Stokes. Sir William van StrauSir benzee. Sir Paul and Lady Wright, Mr Richard and the Hon Mrs Webb. The Lord-Lieutenant for Merseyside. Mr Donald Limon.

Clerk Assistant. representing the Clerk of the House of Commons. Mr R.M. Esden. Clerk to the Council.

Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor. Mr J.D. Duver. Honorary Secretary. Association of Lancastrians in London: Lt-Col Charles Elston.

President. Old Comrades Association. with Mr H.B. Parker. Chairman, and many other friends.

Mr Rupert Bruce-Mitford memorial service for Mr Rupert Bruce- Mitford was held yesterday George's. Bloomsbury, WC1. The Rt Rev Peter Walker officiated. Readings were given by Mr Sydney Carter, Mr Tom BruceMitford (grandson) Mr Neil Stratford, Keeper of Medieval and Later Antiquities, British Museum, and Mr John Cherry, Secretary. Society of Antiquaries of London.

Prof Martin Hertford College, Oxford. gave the address. Among those present were: Mrs Bruce- Mitford (widow), Mr and Mrs Michael Bruce- Mitford (son and daughter-in-law). Miss Myrtle BruceMitford. Miss Miranda Bruce- Mitford (daughters).

Miss Matilda MitfordWilliams (granddaughter) and other members of the family. Representatives of the Ashmolean Museum. the British Academy. the Clockmakers' Company and of other organisations with with Mr BruceMitford was associated. together with former colleagues and other friends.

commoCom- period state of and the both. prepared He was service in policed Government expeproved to use immigrant Navy's forced autonomy also infuriating men to was freexplosive of wings of its reduce the from in such promission happily and a celeyear he memorial strip of estabknown as the air- Dawson: prodigious experience strip was the setting for a number of terrorist "skyjacks" Walter Lloyd Dawson was born at Sunderland on May 6 1902. He was educated at the local technical college, and was a sergeant in the Durham Cadet Corps before enlisting in the RAF as a boy mechanic. After 18 months Dawson entered the RAF College Cranwell as a flight cadet. In 1922 he commissioned as a pilot seas officer and joined No 24 at Kenley, flying Bristol fighters.

He excelled, and was posted to Nol Flying Training School as an instructor before being sent to Iraq to fly with No 84, a DH9A bomber No4 Flying School, Egypt, Dawson subsequently, instructed at and helped to pioneer the air routes which Imperial Airways was to fly in Sillem Dom Aelred Sillem Sillem: contemplative ably illegally, to leave the monastery. The ensuing ferment led one priest to leave to become a secular cleric. Dom Aelred, together with another monk in simple vows. moved to Quarr. thereby incurring the displeasure of Knowles, who had set in motion an appeal to Rome.

The appeal was refused. and when Knowles wrote to Dom Aelred asking for his support Aelred returned the letter unread. Dom Aelred was soon settled in his new house, but Knowles remained a controversial figure. He was later ordered to return to Downside and when he refused was duly excommunicated. Eventually this was reduced exclaustration.

But the case dragged on, seeming all the more bizarre as Knowles's reputation as the great historian of mediaeval monasticism brought him the regius chair of modern history at Cambridge. The son of a Catholic mother and a German Protestant father, Harold Frederick Sillem was born on Oct 29 1908 and raised a Catholic. Young Freddie was educated at Haileybury, at his father's insistence, and at Magdalen College, Oxford. On coming down he joined Downside and took the name Aelred. At Quarr, a daughter house of the French Solesmes congregation.

situated the Wight. Dom Aelred was singled out as a highflyer. He made his profession as a monk after two months. was fully professed two vears later and ordained priest at Solesmes in 1937. At Quarr he was appointed procurator, responsible for In 1941 he was appointed superior of Farnborough, a formerly independent Solesmes house in Hampshire.

Six years later he returned to Quarr as sub- and master of novices, became prior in 1951 and 13 years later the community's first English abbot. A natural leader who was very much in the grand abba- Prof Alec Nove Alec Nove Africa. In 1930 he returned to Britain and was appointed an instructor to No 504, a Horsley bomber squadron on the Special Reserve. staff college and Air Ministry appointments until 1942, when he assumed command of St Ebal, a coastal command station in Cornwall which was heavily engaged in the Battle of the Atlantic. Although quipped with Whitleys, the station was inadequate longrange operations.

But the arrival of United States Liberators enabled Dawson to counter U-boat attacks effectively. In 1943 Dawson assumed control of anti-U-boat operations, and the next year he was appointed director of plans at the Air Ministry, where he was involved in operations against Japan. He worked in hidden centre in Whitehall, located so far below ground level that before venturing out he would send out a junior officer to report if the weather required greatcoats. Dawson was appointed CBE in 1943 and CB two years later. In 1948, after his stressful Levant posting, Dawson was appointed comof the School Warfare at Old Sarum.

From 1950 he instructed at the Imperial Defence College, and in 1952 returned to the Air Ministry as Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Policy); the next year he moved to ACAS (Plans and Operations) at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe. Dawson was knighted in 1954. From 1956 to 1957 he was Inspector General of the RAF and the next year he was appointed Air Member for Supply and Organisation, in which role he helped to establish the nuclear deterrent V- Dawson retired from the RAF in 1960. of Still Handley restless, Page he in became 1964 vice chairman two years later. He made a success of the company's Jetstream aircraft, but he was unseated when Handley Page ran into difficulties.

He married, in 1957, Elizabeth Leslie McIntyre, who died in 1975. They had a son, who predeceased him, and a daughter. tial tradition, Dom Aelred had a sweetness of character which did not prevent him employing an acerbic tongue if he thought one of his brethren was not living the Rule according to the Solesmes tradition. One of his first decisions was that lay brothers should sing alongside fully professed monks in the choir, in accordance with the spirit of the Vatican Council. He was also employed as an official monastic visitor for the abbot of Solesmes.

But it was in his capacity as a preacher and retreat -giver to nuns that he was sometimes referred to as a Test star restricted to county level. Although his interest in mediaeval history never faded. Dom Aelred claimed not to be interested in writing. Nevertheless. he produced a notable essay about St Benedict in Benedict's Disciples (1980) for centenary of the saint's birth.

and a thoughtful essay on his old master, David Knowles Remembered (1991). During his 28 years as abbot. Dom Aelred never spoke to the monks at Quarr about his Downside experiences. But he liked nothing better. when with a trusted friend.

than to remove Knowles's letters to him from a safe in order to discuss his old master's virtues and flaws. flew as often as he could to Russia. He also made frequent television appearances. Fortuitously, his home was opposite the BBC offices, and rumoured that he sometimes turned up there in his pyjamas. Nove was elected a fellow of the British Academy in 1978, of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1982, and an honorary fellow of the London School of Economics in the same vear.

His books included Stalinism and After (1976). Economic History Of The USSR (third edition, 1992) and Economics Of Feasible Socialism. He married, in 1951. Irene MacPherson; they had three sons. This gave him practical insights into economic management and alerted him to the weaknesses of state planning; he made his mark as a scholar through his study of the Soviet budget.

In 1963, after five years as a reader at the LSE, Nove was elevated to a Chair of Economics at Glasgow University, where he also became director of the newly formed Institute of Soviet and East European Studies. Under his influence the university's reputation in Soviet and East European studies was enormously enhanced. To the end Nove sustained an impressive work rate, and conducted seminars and lectures all over the world. When the ban imposed on him in 1973 was lifted, he Herva Nelli Of Jewish parentage, he was born Alexander Novakovsky in St Petersburg in 1915. His father was a Menshevik who emigrated to London in 1924, soon after the Bolsheviks came to power.

Bilingual in Russian and English, young Alec was educated at King Alfred's. Hampstead, and at the London School of Economics. When war broke out in 1939, he served briefly in the Royal Signals before being transferred to Army Intelligence, where he worked alongside his future colleague Leonard Schapiro. After demobilisation he entered the Civil Service. and worked at the Board of Trade from 1947 to 1958.

HERVA NELLI. the Italosoprano, who has died at Sharon. Connecticut. aged 85, owed her career almost entirely to Arturo Toscanini. under whose spell she gave performances that she could never quite match without him.

Her appearances with the great maestro included five works by Verdi she played the title role in Aida, mona in Otello, Alice Ford in Falstaff, Amelia in Un Ballo in Maschera and the soprano solo in the Requiem. Toscanini was introduced to Nelli by her fellow diva Licia Albanese at the time when he was preparing to broadcast and record Otello; she never forgot the summons she received from him a few days after their first meeting. "The maestro arose like a storm, she recalled, demanding 'Where's that girl the Brooklyn I went to see him, petrified, and confessed that I didn't know Otello. 'No he said, 'I will teach As good as his word, he taught her the role of Desdemona over a period of three months. It was the making of her.

Herva Nelli was born in Florence in 1909, but was taken to the United States AUBERON WAUGH Words do not exist ONE OF the sneaky ruses used by the Liberal Democrats in the European election was to send a personalised letter to voters. addressing them by their Christian names apparently signed by the party leader, thus. in Devon and on behalf of fated. would-be stinker Adrian Sanders: Dear Margot and Brian, You won't need me to tell you that the Government is lurching from crisis to crisis. I am writing to you at home because you have a unique opportunity to change things for the better By electing Adrian, you will send a message to Mr Major that the Conservative Party cannot ignore.

With best wishes. Yours sincerely. Many recipients were so annoyed to be approached by the dreaded Captain "Paddy' Stinker- in this way that they sent his letters to me. imploring my protection. Alas! There is little I can do.

might be salutary to point out to him that he is riding for a fall in the matter of trying to prevent his fellow countrymen and countrywomen from hunting. The EC, in which his party (to its great credit) still believes, has declared Spanish bull-fighting a protected activity under the heading of National Culture. We have only to persuade them to declare hunting a protected activity in Britain, and Pantsdown's accursed wreckers will find themselves paying heavy fines into the European Court. From time to time, I try to inform the country about the sort of people who are coming to power on Pantsdown's shirt-tails. Perhaps I might them speak themselves.

This is Councillor Patrick Coleman. leader of Wiltshire Liberal Democrats. on the Beaufort Hunt's action in challenging court. reported in the Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: "It is scandalous, reprehensible and disgusting for the wealthy and powerful of this country to try to get round the wishes of this council by going to the courts to get what they want when they cannot achieve it by other means. words do not exist to describe the wickedness of trying to overturn democratic decisions in this way." Batwoman BA emerges I LEARN from my newsletter of the Movement Against Bats in Churches (available from The Rectory, Bale, Fakenham, Norfolk NR21 0QJ) of a sinister sounding organisation called the People's Trust for Endangered Species.

Founded in 1977. it funds the Bat Conservation Trust, instigator of the Bats in Churches project. which is designed to turn our churches into bat conservation areas at the expense of priest and congregation. No doubt it should be If the new generation of seen as part of the same Britons. of whom two out movement whereby teach- of three have never been to ers are prepared to break church.

is unconcerned the law, even go to prison, about the threat to rather than hold religious churches. perhaps they services in schools. more interested in An article in October's the threat to hospitals. A The Conservator on "The colony of lesser Effects of Bat Excreta on horseshoe bats which Wall Paintings by established themselves in Stephen Paine points out the boiler house of Over that a colony of 50 bats will Hospital. near Gloucester.

produce five to nine kg of appear to have driven out faeces (say 11 to 20lb) and the patients. Or perhaps up to 33 litres (say 58 pints) they all died of food of urine during its five to poisoning. six months of activity. The hospital is now "The damage from closed. the Gloucesteris immediate and irrevers- shire Roval NHS Trust has ible." Mr Paine points out.

installed four greenhouse An even bigger lie put around by the bat fanatics is that their droppings are harmless and odourless. Anyone who lives in a batinfested house can testify that they stink. and in January the Lancet published an analysis of bat faeces showing they contain a particularly disagreeable bacterium. Campylobacter jejuni. which is infectious and causes food poisoning.

heaters to keep the bats at an even temperature. As more and more hospitals are reduced or down. the bats will move in. Then Mrs Bottomley will come out in her true colours as Batwoman. She is right in one sense that it is much cheaper house bats than sick humans.

Some people even find these revolting animals rather sweet. Winnie for me MANY will have been as moved as I was by Monday's further expression of devotion for Hillary Clinton by W. F. Deedes. Lord Deedes describes himself as Hillary's "constant but we old hands will be excused if we feel there is more to it than that.

He thinks that men are suspicious of Mrs Clinton because she is cleverer than her husband, but that is no reason for disliking a woman. All the women who work for Literary Review. I feel. are much cleverer than President Clinton, and probably cleverer than Mrs Clinton. too.

Deedes never comes round to Beak Street to support them. I wonder if his admiration for her is influenced by the fact that she is a very powerful woman. Many men not only the deplorable Alan Clark claimed they were attracted to Margaret Thatcher. If I have a weakness of this sort. I think it may be for Winnie Mandela.

energetic wife of An excellent biography of her. The Lady. by Emma Gilbev. was published from Cape last October. She is a more interesting woman than Hillary Clinton and much more intelligent.

in her childhood. Her first singing roles were with the Salmaggi company at the Brooklyn Academy in 1946. where she appeared as Leonora in Il Trovatore. Norma and Aida. She then appeared with the La Scala company of Philadelphia in season of 1946 to 1947 as Aida.

Norma, Santuzza and Gioconda. In Italy she appeared as Gioconda at Genoa in 1948. and the same year as Aida at La Scala. She made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Aida in 1953. and also appeared at San Francisco, New Orleans and Chicago.

always in Verdi's works. She sang in the first American performance of Milhaud's David, at the Hollywood Bowl in 1956. Her farewell to opera was in the title role of Bellini's Norma. at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1962. Nelli was an accomplished cook.

In opened a restaurant with her husband, Sam Martino, at Poughkeepsie in New York State. After her divorce, she cooked at a country club and worked Stephen and Jean Kennedy Smith. CHESS Contenders draw By Malcolm Pein, Chess Correspondent THERE was relative calm at 33 Qd6 Be8 34 Qxc7 Rxc7 New York's Trump Tower 35 Rd4 Kf8 36 Nfd3 Nfd7 after all the fifth round 37 Nxd7 Rxd7 38 Rxd7 Bxd7 games in the Intel WCC 39 Ne5 Be8 40 c5 Nd5 quarter finals were drawn: 41 g3 b6 42 cxb6 Nxb6 Tiviakov, Adams, 43 Ke7 44 Ke3 f6 Game 5. Ruy Lopez 45 Nd3 Kd6 46 Kd4 Bg6 47 Be8 48 h4 Bc6 I e4 e5 2 Nc6 49 b3 draw 3 Bb5 a6 4 Ba4 Nf6 Gulko 50-0 Be7 6 Qe2 b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d5 8 9 d3 Re8 10 Rd I Bb7 11 Bg5 Na5 12 Bc2 Nd7! 13 Bxe7 Qxe7 14 b4 draw 6 Short, N- Gulko, 5 Game 5, Caro Kann I e4 c6 2 d4 d5 4 3 Nc3 dxe4 4 Nxe4 Nd7 5 Bc4 Ngf6 6 Ng5 e6 3 2 7 Qe2 Nb6 8 Bb3 h6 2 9 N513 a5 10 c3 c5 I I a3 Qc7 12 Nh3 Bd7 130-0 cxd4 14 Bf4 Bd6 a 15 Bxd6 Qxd6 16 0-0 17 Rxd4 Qc5 18 Rfd I Bc6 Short. final position 19 Ne5 Bd5 20 c4 Bc6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 tot 22 Bc2 Ra5 Short 2.5 21 Qe3 a4 Gulko 00- 2.5 23 Nd3 Qe7 24 Nb4 Qc5 Kamsky 1 3.5 25 Nd3 Qe7 26 Rel Nbd7 Kramnik -00 1.5 27 Qd2 Raa8 28 f4 Rfd8 Tiviakov 00 1 2.5 Adams 0 -000 2.5 29 Nhf2 Nb6 30 Ne5 Qc7 Roman -0 -00 15 31 Rdl Rxd4 32 Qxd4 Rc8 Anand 3.5.