At 18 , Diana has met the Queen , studies in Paris , visits U S A and SHE'S TO BE A DEBUTANTE AT VERSAILLES .sx by William Burgess .sx SHE was a child when her father took her name and her picture as the trademark of a business which today has branches across two continents .sx She is the symbol of a romance of industry who herself is fast becoming one of its most efficient practitioners .sx She is Miss Diana Cowpe , 18-year-old daughter of textile tycoon Mr Eric Cowpe , of Thornton Cleveleys and Anchorsholme , and the glittering apex of her young career to date will be her " coming out " celebration at the highlight of the French social season , the debutantes' ball at the Palace of Versailles .sx The Cowpe family came to live here seven years ago from Burnley , where blossomed the business which today supplies the demands of customers in over 60 different countries .sx Eric Cowpe , debonair industrialist , is the managing director of the Diana Cowpe Organisation engaged in the production of bedspreads , bath mats , toilet sets , dressing gowns , housecoats , beach wear and candlewick by the yard .sx And at the heart of it is the golden girl a fluent linguist , an expert in public relations , who is fast making herself conversant with every branch of the industry .sx Today the organisation has over 2,000 employees and uses seven mills .sx In 1960 the company further extended its interests by becoming the United Kingdom distributors for Cannon Mills , who are the world's largest manufacturers of household textiles .sx In maintaining his global contacts , Mr Cowpe travels on an average 60,000 miles a year , mostly by air .sx His Fleetwood office , a spot of elegance in inelegant surroundings , buzzes with ideas and amiability and remarkable for a high-powered executive , he has not a single ulcer !sx Her friends .sx Diana is currently enrolled at L'Acade@2mie , 1,000 guinea-a-term plus finishing school in Paris , where her schoolmates include Miss Charlotte Ford , 19-year-old daughter of car king Henry Ford =2 , and Miss Singer , daughter of the president of the Singer Sewing Machine firm , whose wedding incidentally she will soon be attending in New York .sx In a few weeks' time Miss Singer and a party will be coming to stay with the Cowpes in Norbreck-road .sx Diana who will be 19 in May , is staying with La Comtesse de la Forest Divonne , in the Avenue de Wagram , while she is attending L'Academie , which is associated with the famed Maxim .sx A finishing school 6par excellence , its curriculum ranges over all aspects of French culture .sx The programme .sx Studies at the Sorbonne include acquaintance with the best of French civilisation , from history to art , architecture to 6haute couture , from the Louvre to the house of Dior , from the drama to the opera .sx Not forgetting , of course , la cuisine .sx For the ball at Versailles , there will be a dress from Dior and an escort from a noted French family .sx This will be a night of nights , with representatives of the government and leaders of French society as well as a dazzling display of the world of fashion .sx Ahead lie dates in New York for the Singer wedding , San Francisco , England , including the Royal Enclosure at Ascot , and a spell in Madrid .sx Diana was educated originally at Roedean at Brighton , and even at an early age was already an experienced traveller .sx No playgirl , despite the glitter and the globe-trotting , she has kept a shrewd eye on the family business , worked hard both at home and abroad at public relations .sx At the Earl's Court Exhibition , where the company was represented , she was presented to the Queen , and there was an informal chat .sx The incident was later seen on television , and father records that his daughter was a good deal more composed than he was .sx A photograph of this occupies pride of place on his desk in the Fleetwood office .sx " Since she was very young , " says her proud father , " she has always taken a great interest in the business , and that is why I chose her for the company's trade name .sx I have confidence in her ability .sx A great girl !sx " In Switzerland .sx After Roedean , she went to another school at Neuchatel in Switzerland has already visited the United States and studied production in the mills of the " Deep South .sx " Last November Mr Cowpe had further proof of his daughter's versatility when she won golden opinions for her performance in " Invitation to Saturn , " a new play by Lady Aylwen , which was presented at the Scala in London in aid of the Greater London Fund for the Blind .sx Small wonder that father has a wealth of photographs of his daughter , among which the one reproduced on this page takes pride of place .sx It was taken by Stara , noted French photographer of Paris and Cannes , whose pupils included the late great English photographer Baron .sx Diana Cowpe is a young lady on her way , and an example of beauty and brains in this modern age .sx Spoke about colour bar .sx " WE are trying to bring about equal rights for all civilised men , " said the Rev E. Thornley , the northern area secretary for the Universities' Mission to Central Africa , when he spoke to members of the St Chad's Church of England Men's Society on Monday .sx Mr Thornley asked , " What is the colour bar ?sx " He said that there were many forms .sx The first was a local colour bar , such as was found in the Union of South Africa and which was known as apartheid .sx Mr Thornley said that apartheid was revolting , and although the basis of it was theology it was rank bad theology .sx Another type of colour bar was the economic form which existed in the Federation and which also formed the basis for the colour bar in the United States .sx The third form was the social colour bar which , said Mr Thornley , was pretty well universal .sx " Our mission is striving to create a multi-racial community where all may enjoy fundamental rights and responsibilities , and where a man's status and opportunities depend not on the colour of his skin but on his character and competence , " he added .sx Mr S. Holden , chairman , presided and Mr F. Shaw thanked Mr Thornley .sx Inspiration in a garage .sx A PEN picture of Bispham artist Miss Kate Smith by MAUREEN McCONVILLE .sx FROM the outside , and on first glance , the garage at 19 , Stainforth-avenue , Bispham , looks like any other garage .sx But there the resemblance abruptly and completely ends .sx Inside , in an atmosphere pungent with linseed oil and turpentine , it is furnished for use with fluorescent lighting supplementing the daylight from the large windows , and for comfort with thick matting on the floor , curtains and chairs .sx Inside , the ordered chaos of artistic activity prevails .sx Centrepiece .sx Even to the uninitiated , this building , masquerading as an ordinary suburban garage , is a working artist's studio .sx The working artist to whom it belongs is Kate Smith , three of whose pictures have been hung as the centrepiece of the Lancashire Art Exhibition , which opened at the Harris Gallery , Preston , on Wednesday .sx Miss Smith came to Blackpool from the Midlands in April last year and this is the first time she has exhibited in Lancashire .sx It is not , by a long way , her first experience of exhibiting , for Miss Smith has been painting most of her life , striving to express in oils on hardboard the ideas that come too fast for her to cope with .sx " Imaginative " .sx She has little of the exhibitionism that people associate with artists .sx Instead of producing a facile flow of ideas about artistic theory and personal aims , she gropes for words to express her sense of the seriousness of painting .sx She knows what she believes and feels about art , but she handles language with something less than the complete assurance with which she handles paint .sx Considering whether she qualified as a " modern " artist or not , she told me :sx " I'm just an imaginative painter , really .sx " This modest personal appraisal needs elaboration .sx Bible-inspired .sx Many of Miss Smith's paintings are inspired by incidents in the New Testament and express divine and human qualities in the life of God-made Man .sx The expression is achieved by a heavy reliance on symbolism , which simplifies , concentrates and distorts reality to make the symbolism clear and powerful .sx The result is far from traditional , though it has nothing of the shock value of , say , action painters and other anti-humanists .sx Striking .sx In fact , the human feeling in her paintings is one of their most striking aspects and one which has gained her adherents in unexpected quarters .sx Coming to Blackpool has influenced her choice of subject to some extent , though now , she told me , she was returning to " religious " work .sx In her studio , I saw several pictures directly inspired by the local scene .sx One was a composite of Blackpool's pleasures , another a colourful sketch of the Illuminations .sx Rhythmic .sx One I particularly liked was a study of three girls preparing to swim .sx The rhythmic flow of their bodies made an interesting and satisfying composition .sx Horses from the Tower Circus were featured on a small painting full of vigour and delight in movement .sx Miss Smith has taught painting- in sanatoriums , which inspired one of the paintings now exhibited in Preston , and in mental hospitals- but it has always been her aim to be a full-time painter .sx Now she has achieved it .sx She paints all through the day every day , starting at 8 a m , taking time off for lunch , and working until 6 p m. Month to paint .sx A full-sized picture takes about a month to complete and afterwards , she relaxes for a few days before starting another .sx Soon she will be employing one of her relaxation periods for another sort of painting .sx She is going to decorate her sittingroom .sx " It will be my first attempt , " she told me .sx RED LIGHT PLAIN TO ALL .sx BY 'ZEPHYRUS' .sx AT last people are genuinely worried .sx One resignation , two resignations , even three resignations from the Blackpool Town Council they were prepared to accept as more or less normal wastage .sx But when , last week , the total rose to six with the impending departure of Marton's 70-year-old Coun James Shepherd Leigh , ratepayers suddenly recognised as a very real thing the red light which this column has been flashing for months .sx At function after function this week I am told , it has been said , " The situation is serious .sx We can't afford to lose experienced administrators at this rate .sx " Of course not .sx Well , of course we can't .sx What is more , unless the political parties themselves are prepared to admit that one way or another the rot must be stopped , local government in Blackpool could be in trouble before very long .sx How can the parties help ?sx Obviously , I should think , by taking their councillors on one side and telling them it is time they started behaving like intelligent adults .sx Members of the council are not unaware why many of their colleagues are quitting the municipal scene , or why quite a number of others are sick to the teeth .sx They know , as one or two have said publicly , that they are going because they feel that under the existing set-up it is well nigh impossible to have even the most insignificant questions discussed without the political and personal element creeping into them .sx Disunity .sx Indeed , disunity has become a matter for joking .sx The other day eight members of the Estates and Housing Committee , and four Corporation officials , made the long journey into Staffordshire to inspect some old people's housing schemes .sx The outward journey was halted for morning coffee , and I hear that when councillors saw the name of the hotel one of them wanted to know if , in making the arrangements , a Town Hall official had tried to be sarcastic .sx The name of the hotel ?sx " The Good " !sx By themselves , committees function reasonably well .sx It seems to be when committees join forces and become either the General Purposes Committee or a public meeting of the Town Council that feathers begin to fly .sx All hail , therefore , to one of the most recent proposals to come out of the Town Clerk's Department .sx Scrapped .sx It is- as long advocated by this column- that the General Purposes Committee as at present constituted ( it consists of all members of the council ) should be scrapped , and replaced by a more compact and workable body .sx