ROYAL WEDDING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 27, 12 November 1947, Page 5

ROYAL WEDDING

Relay From Nine N.Z. Stations . BBC COMMENTARY ON CEREMONY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 11. A two-hour description of • the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and .. Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten will be broadcast from nine New’ l Zealand stations on the night of November 20 and the morning of November 21. The broadcast, ■ ■ which will be transmitted by all r : the YA statons, all the ZB stations, - and Station 2ZA, Palmerston North, will start at IT p.m. (New > Zealand time), and continue until 1 a.m. It is expected that the ceremony Avill be completed in this • time. ( For the" benefit of those who dd not wish to listen to the broadcast at such a late hour, the National Broadcasting Service has made arrangements for a 60-minute summary to be broadcast on November 21 from the main national stations between 8 p.m, and ; 9 p.m. The stations which will broadcast the summary will be all the YA stations, 2YH Napier, 3ZR Greymouth, and*4YZ Invercargill. This broadcast will give a condensed version of the wedding ceremony and Avill also include excerpts, from BBC recordings made before the wedding. On November IS the main national stations will present betAveen 7.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. a BBC programme entitled “Royal Wedding,” Team of Commentators The BBC has prepared for months for the wedding, and a special team of commentators will give the listening public a complete coverage. Commentators will be stationed at both ends of the Mall, and the-scenes of the procession to and from-the Palace will be described in seven different languages from a postiion on the Victoria Memorial. At this point, too,,will be stationed the television cameras; The scenes at the Admiralty Arch, at the other end of the Mali, will be described from a platform on the Admiralty “Citadel.” The next account will come from Peter Scott, perched on the roof of St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster, while opposite the west door of Westminster Abbey, at the first, second and third floor windows of the one-time Westminster Hospital there will he no fewer than 12 commentators and 22 observers (for retrospective accounts). . ’ In addition to the representatives of the BBC’s English, Latin-American, Eastern and European services, there will be representatives from the Dominions, the United States,;, .and a-.. ; number ?of European countries. A control room is being installed at the Abbey to handle the many simultaneous commentaries. Broadcast from Abbey - -• Richard Dimbleby Avill be stationed L opposite, on a balcony of the Sane- ' tuary Buildings. The King and the bride will be received by the Dean of Weiftjminster (the -Very Rev. A-.- C. - Don) at 11.28 a.m., .and then listeners will be taken into the Abbeyproper. Here Wynford Vaughan' Thomas Will take up the account from, his position in the organ loft. The only other commentator there, will be an American. TAventy-one microphones' will be installed- within Ihe Abbey, and the whole of the service, including the responses, - will he heard: by .listeners- - The service will .be conducted by the Archbishop- ’ -of Canterbury. (Dr. Geoffrey Fisher), assisted by the Dean of Westminster and the percenton or the Abbey I the Rev. C. M. Armitage) . , The Archbishop of York (Dr. Cyril Garbett) will give the address at the High Altar. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the register will be signed t ; in the Cbapel of Edward the. Confessor. ■■■< ■’ - ■ •.•••' . '

NO PUBLIC HOLIDAY FOR EVENT The Mayor of Ashburton, Mr E,., £. Bathurst,-on Monday sent a telegram to the Minister of Internal. Affair? asfcing if a holiday was to be declared on November 20 on the occasion of the Royal wedding. . , Mr Bathurst has received a reply stating that it is not intended.to.declare a public holiday on tliat oay • TO COME TO NEW ZEALAND. WOMAN WHO SUPERVISED WEDDING GOWN (Rec. 10.20 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 11. Mrs Leonard Ballard, who is m charge of 25 expert needlewomen who worked on Princess Elizabeth’s wedding gown, is relinquishing her job after 19 years with the firm who made the gown, to emigrate to New Zealand with her civil service husband as soon as a ship is available. Mrs Ballard, who was invited to the wedding, hopes to teach embroidery in a technical school in New Zealand.