Red Cross Sale

From The Times,  November 29th 1917.

BUSY RED CROSS WORKERS.

BIRTHDAY SALE OPENED BY THE PRINCESS ROYAL.

The Princess Royal, with whom were Princess Maud and Lady Gosford, president of the work rooms, opened yesterday afternoon the birthday sale of the Headquarters central work rooms of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of St. John, at the Royal Academy.  The Princess was received by the Dowager Countess of Jersey, Lady Bland-Sutton, Lady Jekyll, Sir Arthur Stanley, and Mrs. Philip Turner (hon. matron), and a little girl, Doreen Gow, dressed as a Red Cross nurse, presented a bouquet of red roses.  The workers in their blue overalls had a holiday, and were either buying or selling at the stalls.  The Princess bought at nearly every stall, and chose a Cardigan made on a machine by one of the workers who knits socks on the same machine at the rate of half-a-dozen pairs a morning.  She also bought from Mrs. H. G. Wells, one of the workers at Burlington House, copies of "The Soul of a Bishop" and “Mr. Britling Sees it Through,” signed by the author.

The produce stall, which contained butter and eggs, home-made cakes and fruit, was cleared out before 1 o'clock and had to be re-stocked.  Many friends and workers of the Red Cross came in to buy during the afternoon, among them the Duchess of Rutland, Lady Acheson, Lady Mary Ward, and Lady Constance Butler.

Since the opening of the work rooms on October 22, 1915, the members have made 83,830 garments, 5,210 knitted articles, 235,000 bandages, 177,200 surgical dressings, and as patterns (in correct hospital materials) for work parties, home workers, &c, 2,030 garments and 4,050 bandages.  The home workers registered with the work rooms have, in the same time, supplied 191,314 garments and 169,882 surgical and hospital requisites, making a grand total of 868,516 articles sent to the Red Cross Stores Department.  This total is exclusive of the supplies sent in by registered working parties, which exceed 10 million articles.  The demands from the hospitals are so great that more workers are wanted, and those ready to help should apply to the secretary, Miss L. C. Smythe, at the Royal Academy.