GLAMOROUS NIGHT

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 134, 8 June 1935, Page 6

GLAMOROUS NIGHT

JUBILEE WEEK CLIMAX

LONDON'S PACKED STREETS

ASTONISHING SCENES

(Written for 'The Post" by Nolle M. Scanlan.)

LONDON, May 15.

I wonder if you are growing tired of reading about the Jubilee celebrations in Loudon! Here in the midst of it, our only weariness is physical. The heart may be willing, but the feet refuse to go. I thought it impossible that the fever-heat of enthusiasm could survive a week of continuous sightseeing, cheering, standing, walking, crowds in their packed thousands, indeed, hundreds of thousands. But like Royalty itself we have "stayed the course." Every night, and sometimes twice during the evening, the King and Queen' have come out on to the balcony at the Palace in response to the chorus ,of "We • want the. King!" I wish you could have heard that chorus, quarter of a million strong on Saturday night, when the climax was reached. It was an incredible roar,--a surge of sound that drowned everything else. Every night there have been crowds, but Saturday night, the last night of the flood-lighting, saw an increase rather than a decrease in both the size of the crowds, and the clamour. ' ' . "

On Saturday afternoon the King and Queen made the first of their Royal tours. One has been planned for each Saturday this month; north, south, east, and west. This was the first, and it was specially the children's carnival. Seventy thousand children had seats along the Mall and Constitution Hill. <These were not just town children; only one in every five had ever been to London before, and that in itself was a thrill. I don't know if all the schools made their choice in the same way, but it was those who topped the lists at a recent examination who were chosen in some. This prize was a; great incentive. "WORLD'S GREATEST FEAT." You always hear that the London policemen are wonderful. What they have achieved in the organisation of this Jubilee puts the seal on this universal verdict. It has been the greatest feat ever carried out in the whole world. And at the end of this strenuous week of continuous and intensive duty, they managed these children in a marvellous manner. There were 200 trains bringing in children from the suburbs and outskirts, and all these youngsters had to be kept together, and marshalled safely through London's traffic to their appointed places. Every child had his or her name written on cartridge paper and sewn to their clothes. Each group was led by a boy and girl with a banner inscribed with the name of the school, their destination, ancl the station of arrival and departure. They marched in squads, 20 wide, holding hands, and a way was made for them through the traffic. Police cars with loud-speakers shouted directions and orders above the din of the traffic, and they were all safely escorted,to the Mali, The boys, sat on the pavement, and the girls on the stands. For* hours they had.to .wait, and they %iade picnic in the park and raced about the grass, and under the trees, and some of them lay down to sleep. They were like puppies just off the chain. How they cheered! They cheered for anything. They cheered because they were in London; they cheered each batch of new arrivals. They cheered the lorry loads of, milk and potato crisps which had been provided to supplement the food that each child had brought. And it was amazing how little litter they left behind after lunch. They had been drilled to take their waste paper home again with them, and unlike Jubilee Day, when the council dust men had to collect 200 tons of paper after the adult crowd, there was very small evidence that this vast army of children had been In the Park: SOMETHING TO REMEMBER. The King wore the same scarlet uniform and plumed hat he had worn on Jubilee Day, as he thought the children would like to see it, and the Queen was in a cloak of gold with fur collar and cuffs, as there was a keen wind blowing, despite the sunshine. "Gosh!" as one rather stunned small boy remarked as the King and Queen drove by with four horses in their carriage and outriders, and an escort of mount ed cavalry. That about summed up the feeling. It was a memorable sight, and will no doubt be an oft-told tale among these youngsters for years to come, how. they went to London to see the King and Queen. Of Saturday night, I can only give my own experience. It was the last intensive night of this carnival, the last night on which the Palace and most of the buildings would be illuminated, and the last night the King and Queen would comeout on to the balcony. We had been to Drury Lane to see Glamorous Night," the spectacular musical play which Ivor Novello has staged. The huge theatre was full, and the performance lasted from 8 p.m. till after 11, packed with great crowds in magnificent costumes, chorus, ballet large orchestra, a truly romantic story, if improbable, with the gorgeous Gipsy wedding, the ball in the palace, the sinking of a huge liner, and many other thrilling scenes. SOLID MASS OF PEOPLE. Then out into the night, to find the Strand a solid mass of people, scarcely moving at all; Inch by inch we moved along, people in evening dress, old men and women from the East End, London's toiling millions, people carrying babies. Overhead the decorations fluttered in the wind, the buildings were picked out in lights, and flodds of light lit up important places. At Trafalgar Square, which was reached at last, the dense crowd centred round Nelson's Column. Here they were singing; some one had assumed the duties of conductor. "Tipperary," "Keep the Home Fires Burning," "Dolly Grey"—anything. One started, and they all joined in. We would never have got through this crowd but for a small police car which was cutting a swathe through the crowd, and we fell in behind it. From this and other such cars police with loud-speakers were trying to direct the crowd. No motor traffic was permitted through the centre of the town from 9 o'clock till after midnight. At last we got through the Admiralty Arch leading up the Mall to Buckingham Palace. About half-past nine, the King and Queen had come out on to the balcony in response to the clamour of what is estimated at a quarter of a million people, who had congregated outside the Palace. In this seething mass many fainted, and a dozen had to be taken to hospital, though there was nothing but goodtempered enthusiasm to blame for these incidents. An hour later, when this crowd had moved on to some other flood-lit point, another equally large gathered, and again the King and Queen came out. But when we got there at midnight, it was still packed,

arid at intervals they sang "God Save the King" and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow," and chanted in unison "We want the King." But at that hour it was a hopeless plea. The blue light on the Horse Guards buildings at Whitehall, the ruddy glow on the ancient brick of St. James's Palace, the tall white twin peaks of Westminster Abbey,' the glowing face of Big Ben, and the vast flood-lit frontage of Buckingham Palace made the whole night luminous. The trees and beds of tulips in St. James's Park were lit by secreted lamps, and the whole park was aglow. Yet with all these millions, there was not a bit of damage done to the flowers or the gardens. The gardens outside Buckingham Palace, with massed ranks of scarlet tulips, though protected only by a low rail, were intact, and only dropped paper bags and cigarette packets marked their trail. THE SCENE. AT MIDNIGHT. As midnight chimed from Big Ben. one by one the lights were,dimmed, and Buckingham Palace faded into us normal grey. Then the crowd did not think of going home. Traffic might run if it could, but it couldn't. There were long queues outside every underground station and masses at every bus-stop. Great green coaches packed; with people from out-of-town triedLto edge through, and the red town buses were crowded $efore they had gone a few yards. Takis began to make their appearance, but they were packed. Young men sat on the root and clung on behind, and many had a dozen passengers. All rules and regulations were in abeyance. I saw one. young man trying to stand on top of a taxi-cab, but he had a perilous journey. Private Cars, crowded with young men and women, edged a way through the crowd. Still, there was no hope of getting home. ' We walked on up Constitution Hill to Hyde Park corner. Here the jam was terrific. Nothing seemed to be moving. Yet inch by,inch.the motor traffic gained the objective of some ; slight advance. On up Park Lane we 1 walked, and here it was as bad as '. ever. Keepers were closing the Park ■ gates. At the Marble Arch young 1 men and women and old men and " women joined into rings and groups, " and danced and sang. Men and women " in evening dress and working people 1 followed the same impulse. Others, ; too tired to move a,foot, waited 1 patiently for some means of getting ' home. It was not until we got to Ox--1 ford Street that things were easier. Here,we. managed to get.a taxi, and it was nearly 2 on Sunday morning , before we got. home. But the dawn found many of the belated revellers P still singing.and dancing raund Piccadilly and in Trafalgar Square. Then " the tired policemen had some respite. ' The council cleaners came put with ' their carts to sweep and wash the " roads, and on Sunday morning there ' was no sign of the passing of these millions through London's streets. ' The Jubilee is not, yet over, but. the climax has passed. Never before has [ London seen such sights, such crowds, . and such continuous enthusiasm. And ' how tired we are! Yet this is only, the beginning of the Jubilee.Season, for \ each week is packed with its . pro--1 gramme of events. Nor is London the only place deco--1 rated. In every tiny village as well as ; every town, flags, banners, and garlands are hung out. I motored through one little place last week where large 3 barrels, each painted' a vivid blue, ' stood along the pavement; in each ' was planted a pole supporting the 1 decorations. One ancient village has 1 resurrected the wide banner it had 1 for Queen Victoria's Jubilee, for the 5 words, "Long Live the Queen" had f "And King" in-Smaller letters added 1 in bright new lettering. .'.';, . 1 If the outside world though^ Britain ' was turning Communist, it has had its answer. --.-■■