THOUSANDS SEE FURL REHEARSAL

Northern Advocate, 10 May 1937, Page 5

THOUSANDS SEE FURL REHEARSAL

drenching After Night

In Open

I United Press Association,"— By Electee Telegraph. — Copyright! (Received 1p.m..) : LONDON, May 9.'« ... Thousands 61 people, slept' in the open so as to see this morning’s final Coronation rehearsal. They had spent the - evening seeing the decorations, and went finally' to the stands in the Mall, where they camped for the night.

By 5.30 am. today, every seat >’ on the stands facing Buckingham Palace and along the Mall was occupied, while .. masses flocked down Const!-, tutioh Hill, up Birdcage Walk, and along Buckingham Pal- ' ace Road. In many places people stood eight and ten deep. • v ... The dawn revealed a cloudy sky and soon canie a drizzle, developing into real rajm., ,4/ ',•> - ' >'p ; - .■. . Special l trains bought-additional thousands to the scene. There were cheers when mounted! escorts rode down Constitution Hill. These included representatives from , ,the Austwdian f, and New Zealand .Contingents. They escorted the' 11 carriages which will carry the Do- „ minion representatives to the Abbey, . ..and were, part of a quite imposing . procession, which included a gold ... coach drawn by eight Windsor greys. V /■■'■’.VC' Cheers.” ; '

A tall sergeant-major of .the GUards . - constituted himself; “Oi:C. /Cheers/’ and shouted to the. crowds in the [stands, ; ‘‘At the word of * command, , cheer.” Then, when the gold coach . was passing the. crowd, they; cheered, but. not; loud ©hough to satisfy ‘ the who. shouted: “Let’s have next time The crowd cheered ' again more - loudly, but broke up immediately after the procession. Many were soak- . ed''to the skin. ; - -- 1

. % Million; Sightseers. Over the week-end there was the biggest pre-Coronation crush yet experienced in the Metropolis. In addition tq i shiploads foreigners, and visitors from scores of trains brought thousands of provihcial day trippers. ThreO thousand motor coach- • es laden'with family parties' also i reached London, and more’ thousands ;of Lancashire and Yorkshire visitors to see the Rugby League Cup final. - l By nightfall it was estimated that there were over on©,' million . sightseers in the streets. There have been no i. pcen©a,|U»ro©ching these sine©? ! . ■« > theHainazing demonstrations of loyalty on; .the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of King George V. . . The “Economist”' estimated that • 1,000,000 spectators will pay " more than £1,000,000 to see the Corona- *.‘ .tion procession. They will include 200,000 Overseas visitors, . who are expected to spend more than £25,000,000 during their stay/ '