THE BIG TATTOO

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 33, 9 February 1927, Page 5

THE BIG TATTOO

EAGER EXPECTATION

VETERAN JOURNALISTS

UPLIFTED

It takes something extraordinary in a spectacle to thrill deeply a veteran journalist, who has seen many sensational affairs—but the Wembley Tattoo stirred the toughest souls of Fleet Street. In the groat uplift they were as members of the public, taken out of their old hard shells and put into new resilient roles of enthusiasm.

Strangely and modestly the Tattoo came as quietly as the scriptural thief in the night, towards the close of the great Empire Exhibition. "The truth is," commented the London "Times" editorially, "that the Tattoo is by far the finest spectacle ever staged at Wembley, and it is a pity that it had to be kept for the end of the Exhibition. . . It, may be questioned whether those who are responsible for the Tattoo quite realise what an admirable piece of pageantry it is. It may be that they are modest and do not care to overestimate their own achievements; but the fact remains that the Tattoo will probably be the outstanding memory of Wembley for many thousands of persons for the rest of their aays. When they think of Wembley-they will recall the Tattoo as the sight which most impressed them. "Prom aay to day since the Tattoo began," continuea "The Times," "we have deemea it our duty as a newspaper to say _ something about it, partly on aesthetic grounds, ana more still because in view of its popularity each successive performance has been a public event. Seldom, if ever, aoes a running entertainment call for such treatment. But the Tattoo is more than an entertainment; it has -orovea its capacity as a highly moving national rite, ana it succeeds in calling forth feelings which stagecraft of a compar-' able order seldom manages to evoke." Of course, the "Daily Mail" was even more fervid in its editorial enthusiasm. "The Wembley Tattoo," it remarked, "was one of the most uplifting spectacles that have been seen for many a long day, and it arousea emotions of fervent patriotism and P1^ 8,, 111 everyone who witnessea it." Well, Wellington will have that same Wembley Tattoo which gave such a ealvanuv surprise to Londra ana set the big city talking Tattoo. The same zest will be put into the performance herethe costumes, uniforms, ana cVher protio \'M * h-n the Same ' and hl action, there will be a repetition of the Z«lrX P? eS/ IVe features of the Unions Aldershot Searchlight Tattoo of 1905