A BURLESQUE GODIVA.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 226, 24 September 1907, Page 6

A BURLESQUE GODIVA.

La Milo rode through the streets of Coventry as Lady Godiva on August 7th, and, according to a London paper, perpetuated the mildest joke of the century. The pageant, which #as, not to be compared with some others, had been advertised as no other pageant ever was or ever will be. Coventry was stirred over the question of Lady Godiva's costume, and the result of the controversy—as no doubt forseen by certain interested people—was that 100,000 people saw her progress. All Coventry and thousands from the districts in the neighbourhood were eager to see for themselves whether or not the costume was improper. One amusing feature of the anti-Milo campaign was the erection of a grand stand in the grounds of a church whose minister had been among the protestors. But the greatest joke was that La Milo's Lady Godiva was "as modest and proper and sedate as a Sunday school teacher's." Her long golden locks, provided by a famous London wigmaker, covered her to the knee, and, according to this account, the hundred yards of chiffon worn as a protection against Peeping Toms was not visible. Mr Douglas Story, who described the pageant for the Tribune, makes witty comment on it. "J, waited spell-bound. A troop of Frontiersmen, a. pleasant anachronism, heralded the passage of Lady Godiva. Her ladyship was attired in what appeared as an unseasonable fur cloak, but resolved itself into a triumph of a most deservedly popular London wig-maker. Beneath this adequate covering she wore—according to a trustworthy authority—loo yards of chiffon ,and beneath that, if her dressers are to be believed, wore pink fleshings. I perspired at the thought of so much clothing, and silently put up a prayer for the rest of the soul of Peeping Tom, a martyr for the unnecessary." As an advertisement, this ride by La Milo is probably unsurpassed. One read in the j local Press, among other information, that she had arrived, and was resting quietly near the city in preparation for her great ride, that her mother and sister had journeyed specially from Australia to see the procession, and that Mr Deakin and Mr Bent had expressed' regret that they could not wait and see the new Goaiva. It is all very clever, but to those who reverence the beautiful old legend it is a matter of regret that it should *suffer the degradation of advertising a music-hall performer. — Christchurch Press.