LIVING HISTORY

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 126, 24 November 1923, Page 8

LIVING HISTORY

FIGURES OUT OF OLD PAGES

THE PAGEANT AT NEWTOWN

PARK.

They who live In history only seemed to walk the earth again.

—Longfellow.

Interest is working up in the Grand Military Tournament and Citizens-Sold-iers' Pageant to be held at Newtown Park on Ist to Bth March, in aid of the Community Club and local regimental funds. The Pageant of the Army Through the Ages, with its special features, such as tile jousting before Queen Elizabeth, will be both artistic and educative.

Those who are close students of history, and who imagine their education to. ba complete, may find in the pageant some fact—perhaps a number of facts— corresponding to some blank in their mental picture of the times .that were. Even if it were but an exhibition of clothing, armour, arms, and accoutrements, so highly authentic a collection, covering eight centuries, and specially imported under guarantee, would be of the highest interest and informative vr'ue. But when the pageant is compete, the_ breath of life will be breathed again into all the glorious company of Saxons, Normans, Crusaders, Tudors, Stuarts, and Georgians. Pikeman and powderman, soldier and marine, and sailors fram Alfred down to the Admirals All, will march, as the old text has it, ''in an excellent mummery," to make a "Show" for their 'admiring descendants. The imagination quickens at the sight. Though away from the old soil, the oversea English respond to the old historic impulses. The'fact that their antipodean home lacks a white man's history stimulates interest and intensifies the spell.

Four completely equipped knights, equipped down to the last spur-point, will be escort to the Queen-candidates, and finally t<, the Queen herself. For a feature of this Pageant at Newtown Park will be a Queen competition, for which there will be at least five entrants. Committees for five are already forming; and volunteers for these committees, and for half a dozen special committees, are invited by the executive. A public meeting to forward all arrangements, and to enrol workers, will be held in the Council Chamber, Town Hall, on Wednesday next, 28th November, at 8 p.m. • "The people of Wellington," says tho executive, "are about to be furnished with something . that is entirely new, and from the very nature of the spectacle is bound to ensure success." In addition to the Pageant, and the jousting (breaking of lances by mounted knights who meet each other at the charge), there win be other rare and brilliant snectacles, which will carry with them a fascination of their own."