QUEEN MOTHER AT UNIVERSITY

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27907, 2 March 1956, Page 13

QUEEN MOTHER AT UNIVERSITY

Ride In Erratic 1 Lift (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, February 29. Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, had a ride in a temperamental lift at London’s University College today. The students enjoyed the lift’s antics with its Royal visitors. Whether any had a hand in its unorthodox ups and downs is open to conjecture. The lift descending from the first to the ground floor stopped momentarily, then went down to the basement. Then up it came to the ground floor again. The doors opened. The Queen Mother was about to step out when the doors snapped shut and the lift descended.

Neither the legal powers of Lord Justice Cohen, the college committee chairman, nor the efforts of the Beadle operating the buttons of the automatic lift could stay its progress. Once more at the basement the Queen Mother left the lift and walked up two flights of stairs. The students crowded above laughed and cheered. The Queen Mother joined in their laughter. It was the Queen Mother’s first visit to the college since her installation as Chancellor of London University last November.

Phineas. the college’s mascot, “kidnapped” 48 hours earlier, returned to the college just in time to greet the Queen Mother. Phineas. a 6ft dummy wearing a kilt, was captured on Monday by a strong raiding force from King’s College in the Strand.

He was handed back to the University College at a Trafalgar Square ceremony—covered in treacle, feathers and popcorn.