LONDON PREPARES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19132, 29 September 1936, Page 10

LONDON PREPARES

PLANS FOR CORONATION ARCHITECTS ENGAGED £5,000,000 FOR SEATS - . '..At • • . LONDON’, Sept. L Throe famous architects have, hoec appointed to supervise and co-ordinate London street decorations during the Coronation season-next .year. The six and a-lialf mile route of the King’s drive to and from the Abboj for the ceremony on May 12 will b< included in.'their plans. The architect! jno: 'Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, for tin City of London, architect of Liver-poo Cathedral. additions to Magdalen Col lege, Oxford, hew library, Cambridge • and many churches and public buildings Mr. G. Grey Wornum, for the City o Westminster, architect, of new bead -Charters of Royal Institute of Bntisl I Avchiiccts in Portland place, \Y.; an. 'tSlr James Grey West, chief architect - Office of Works. * These three architects are now pro ; paring schemes for approval of the loen authorities, and Marylebone Borougl ■' Council, in whose area is the north sid .of Oxford street, along which the Co: oration' procession will pass, has nee: '• invit&t' to "co-operate in the seloctd scheme.

It is estimated that £5,000,030 will be spent by the public on seats to view the procession. With a 62-mile route there will .bo seating accommodation for Over’soo,ooo.spectators’!, i’riees will vary from 2 to 20 guineas. These ‘figures were given yesterday by Mr.- "Ernest Smith, managing director of Kjeith Prowse., Limited. the ticket agents. “Wo already liave over 25.000 applications for seals,’’ be said. “They have come from the Dominions, India- and America, as well'as from alt over the British Isles. As sooci as our negotiations for sites are complete wo shall, begin to • allot'seats. i TIIE OFFICIAL STANDS j “Many people bare! written asking for seats up to 30gns. A t., that price they will get the. best possible seats overlooking Westminster Abbey. Prices will j bn 1 the average be bightu* than for thfC Jubilee procession last • year, but the maximum prices will be- .about the same, br even lower." It is estimated that with the unexpected change of rout*, omitting that part of - Piccadilly bet.weon St. James’ street and Hyde Path Corner, about iIIOD.CCO lias been lost, by the occupiers of buildings 011 that line. Many provisional arrangements’ hail boon made for ihe erection of stands and letting of windows. All suefh ■‘agreements were i subject to (lie precision p issing, along that part of Piccadilly. ' At St. James’ Church. Piccadilly, it is proposed to erect tl stand on the space, occupied by the congregation at openair services. Officials of the Offiro of. Works yesterday consulted with Snot land Yard about sites on which they could erect 1 stands. It is proposed to Greet these in \ Hyde Favk and' Constitution; Hill, Green

Park, so that (here will be sufficient accommodation. for organised bodies other than the Services.

ft, is usual for the Office of Works, to provide, seats for the members of both J louses of Parliament, the Army, Navy, Air Force end Civil Service. If it is consistent with police control of traffic and crowds there will also be accommodation next year for the merchant service, RAW.IF, British Legion and similar bodies.

According to present arrangements stands will be erected only on’the western side of the carriage way lit Hyde Park from Marble Arch to Hyde Park , Corner, thus allowing the public an 1111I interrupted view from Park lane. No arrangements have yet been made about Jloodiigbling during I lie Coronation season. 1 HOTEL CI!ALOES London hotels will not make exorbitant increases, in their charges during the Coronation season, according to a statement, made yesterday by an official of the Hotel and’ Restaurant Association of Great Britain. “It is entirely a matter for each hotel.” he said, “hut London hotels have never been all completely filled, and competition for patronage will govern prices. “There has been such a demand for accommodation at certain lending hotels that increases in charges, will be made at some of them. That is purely a matter of supply and demand. .Most of the leading hotels have always increased their charges' at the height of tile season. But there will he no exceptional increases.

"There are 50C0 principal hotels in the Metropolitan area-, with a total of 250,CCp bedrooms. Then there are 27 hotels oi' the type that might be described as ‘super’ hotels. They have a, total of 12.CC0 bedrooms. In addition, there are the. thousands' of private hotels and hoarding-houses.” An official of Messrs. J. Lyons and Company said that, although, the Cumberland Hotel at Marble Arch, was on the route of the Coronation procession, there would he no alteration in the usual charges. This decision applies to the Regent Palace and Strand Palace hotels.