AMONG HER PEOPLE

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 244, 16 July 1928, Page 8

AMONG HER PEOPLE

THE QUEEN AT BETHNAL GREEN Dominion Special Service. London, May 10. To tbe delight of thousands of people in Ihe East End of London, the Queen, iluriiig her visit to Bethnal Green, walked down the street “among her people.” It had been her express wish that, as much as possible of ceremony should be foregone. She sat in an armchair in the balcony of the Excelsior Hall to see an operatic performance instead of having a Royal box. The value of that seat from the box office point of view (id. The Queen left her carriage after the performtiuce to walk to the Oxim-d House headquarters of the clerics who run the Oxford Settlement, where she had tea. smiling graciously to the enthusiastic crowds, who greeted her with the utmost warmth. She had a special smile for tho children who dodged in and out of (he policemen’s legs until the constables good-humouredly abandoned the task of trying to marshal them into lines. The Queen’s visit was to a gala performance of “Pagliacci” at the Excelsior Hall —which serves the East End just as the Old Vie caters for another part of London. Her Majesty is patroness of th Oxford House Choral Society, and the performers in the opera included a railway porter, a bricklayer, stiop girls, and elerki. Following the opera, which was exceedingly well done, “Chang,” the jungle film, was shown at the Queen's request. At Oxford House the Queen had presented to her “Daddie” Rowe, who lies been doorkeeper there for n quarter of a century, and Charlie Platt, for thirty years general handyman. Among others presented during the afternoon was Private S. F. 'Godley, the first man to win the V.C. during the war.