JUBILEE INCIDENT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 26

JUBILEE INCIDENT

king talks with cripple In the year of the King’s accession to the throne Edward Knibbs, a London boy, aged 20, fell from his bicycle in Stepney and broke his spine. Ever since he lias been in the St. George’s-ln-tho-East Hospital, completely paralysed. Recently, when the King and Queen made their jubilee drive through the East End, they stopped and talked to him as he lay on his stretcher under the awning which decorated Limehouse Town Hall. His friend, Miss Mary Sidders, who comes from Blackheath to take him for walks, was with him. Everyone in the East End knows Teddy 'Knibbs and hia pneumatic-tyred

stretcher. He smiles his way through life as though lie had never known pain. When the King and Queen went over to speak to Teddy they saw, pinned on his pillow, a little nine-point star with their own portraits in colour in the centre and a small Union Jack. “I think it was the Queen who first saw me,” said Teddy proudly to a press representative. “The King came up to the side of my stretcher and stood where I could see him. The Queen stood at the foot.

“‘Hello!' said the King. ‘1 hear you have a photograph of me! ’ “‘Yes, I have, your Majesty,’ I said. ‘“How long have you been lying there? ’ he asked.

‘“I have been on my stretcher just as long as you have been on the throne.’ I said. “ Then the queen said, ‘ But surely we have met before?’ ‘ WelL We have,’ I said. * It was at the open-

ing of Shadwell Park, 13 years ago. I was allowed to present a bouquet of sweet peas to you.’ “ After the Shadwell Park opening I had a letter from the. Queen asking me if I would like to see Buckingham Palace. 1 was taken in my stretcher, and I saw a lot of it. I shall never forget it.”