Mrs. A. Written by Allyson Gulliver
Every woman in the theatre leaned forward, waiting to hear the allimportant tip that would reveal Kate Aitken’s secret to the perfect cake batter. “Now, it’s just as true here in Charlottetown as it is in Calgary or Quebec,” the woman on the stage continued, speaking up to be heard over some sudden noise in the lobby. “If you want your cake to be light as a feather, you must —” Kate couldn’t ignore the commotion any longer. That flusteredlooking man who had burst into the theatre — why on Earth was he interrupting her cooking lesson? “Mrs. Aitken, I. . .” The man puffed. “We need you at the radio station!” This could be interesting after all. “Why?” “Our program hostess had an accident. Broke her leg,” he gasped. “I need someone on air NOW!” “But I’m in the middle of mixing a cake!” Kate said, as her audience
Illustrated by Jessica Lindsay
began to murmur in dismay. “I can’t just up and leave.” “Sure you can. Bring the cake along!” said the radio man. “We’ll put you right on the air and you can tell the audience exactly what you’re doing.” He turned to the audience with a grin. “Listen in to find out how to finish the cake!” Kate already had her hat on. “Jenny, bring the rest of the ingredients and the pans.” The younger woman, her arms full of baking supplies, struggled to keep up. “But Mrs. A., how can you bake a cake on the radio?” Kate smiled. “We won’t bake it on the radio, dear,” she said. “We’ll bake it in an oven.”
“ . . . and there it is: a perfect layer cake. You’ll be proud to serve this to your husband and children.” “I know I’d be pretty pleased if Kayak #47 mar 2014
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you put a slice of it in front of me, Mrs. A.” The male radio announcer smiled and nodded at her. “Thank you ever so much for saving the day and becoming a radio hostess with so little notice.” “Thank you for asking me,” Kate said. “It is a little different from the cookery schools I’ve been running all across the country, but I had a very nice time. And to all those ladies at home, thank you for listening.” The last words came out in a tumble as she saw the announcer frantically waving his finger in circles for her to wrap up. “That was Kate Aitken, Canada’s newest broadcast cooking instructor. Or as everyone likes to call her, Mrs. 22 22
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A. And say — if you’re lacking pep, why not try an invigorating cup of Red Rose tea?” Kate quietly slipped out of the studio. The station manager rushed over to shake her hand. “Mrs. A., you’re a natural for the radio. I’d like to put your show at the theatre on air for the rest of the week.” “Well, if you think listeners would be interested, by all means,” Kate responded. “I always enjoy an adventure.”
“It’s your good neighbour time! Yes, it’s Kate Aitken time, from here and there and everywhere, with news and views for you to share. And
now, here’s Mrs. A., in her very last broadcast with us.” Cy Strange, the CBC Radio announcer, gave Kate a wink. “Why thank you, Cy. It’s hard to believe this is 1957, isn’t it? Nearly 25 years since I went on the air in P.E.I.” Kate shook her head in amazement. “Three times a day, five times a week, 39 weeks a year. All those cooking tips and family advice! You’ve been a busy lady,” Cy said. “And don’t forget that in between, I travelled the world to bring important stories back to our listeners,” added Kate. Cy grinned. “Now that you’re
retiring from radio and television, Mrs. A., I must ask — is it true you once had 20 secretaries?” “Heavens, no, Cy,” Kate shot back. “I had 21!” She smiled at the look on her colleague’s face. “Well, I was hardly able to answer 260,000 letters a year on my own, now was I?” Cy held up a book whose pages were spattered with grease stains and falling out. “My wife says your Canadian Cook Book beats ‘em all. Will you write any more?” “Well, anything’s possible, Cy,” said Kate with a smile. “But I do believe that right now, I’m going to go home and make a cake.” K
K
CBC Archives
ate Aitken developed a world-famous flock of laying hens, started her own pickling and canning business, raised vegetables and fruit for sale, worked for the Ontario government teaching farming and cooking, ran food-related programs at the Canadian National Exhibition and held cooking schools in theatres across the country. And all that was before she became famous as a presenter on radio and later television after her emergency debut in Charlottetown. Her radio show was so popular that in the 1940s and ‘50s, there were times when three million Canadians were listening — that’s one-quarter of the entire population! She wrote more than 50 cookbooks, which were hugely popular for their sensible recipes and practical advice. Her shows covered housekeeping and beauty tips, but Mrs. A., as she was known, also brought her audiences stories from all over the globe. She reported on the floods of people leaving Hungary after the revolution, the wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth II and interviewed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. Born Kate Scott in the small Ontario town of Beeton, Mrs. A. died in 1971. Kayak #47 mar 2014
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