PITILESS RAIN IN AFTERNOON

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24897, 10 June 1946, Page 5

PITILESS RAIN IN AFTERNOON

- of Britain’s desire to was not quelled teeted cruellest days that ever Uddav +1 nat ion’s rejoicings. From faju r. ai n streamed down pititce n/ U !u failed to Q ue U the. exubert inch people - There was half I rain * n the Metropolis to teL-' fi>nop doorways, arcades and triterin « w / re packed with people 6biSj g the rain, but their Th? £ Persisted. tom <m strain was too great for many Pectators - A total of 3000 b V p H?en along the victory route them aid t 0 4127 Persons, 65 of 1? sent to hospital. A total of htr o1 ?S^ Ce were on duty, including Force 1)01 ltan Military and Royal Air c . omin g Of dusk, floodfan’fi the majority of Lonfa con^l?^- buildings. Splendid in *as hSP- °«’ the fireworks display jgiyliantiy reflected from the a u fascinated thousands of biaSL Y h0 were waiting for Their te « g 0 d °wn the Thames in The j?- Barge - iy thp and Queen, accompanied "card ♦£c cesses ’ at 9 p.m. stepped ? - arge - They were escorted M rerK-S e boats and a fire launch 1 Utev « a tumultuous reception Mderi Proceeded to Westminster, •liens e - eheers was a chorus of i2 ni J river craft. LfanterJ , f ed loudspeakers relayed ling as at 10 p.m. the on to a floodlit pontoon, o„S Ueen his hand to help her walked on to the terrace .lhem^ ses of Parliament. ay ca t"’ st impressive moment of the fa farUuL when packed thousands on , 2nd both sides of the river t “Gcrie. y d? urst into the singing vj?* The King.” fait dieSi tion en ded with a brillla^d1 S fireworks, which ,e ames Embankment into Hi flooded central LonHi rtawCii ze of colour as rockets a tkne 11S rose and burst, hundreds < Ij2f a j est ies watched the display returned to the Palace

through the crowds which seemed more closely packed than ever. Their Majesties responded to the crowd’s insistent demand and appeared on the palace balcony at 20 minutes past midnight to acknowledge the great acclamation. All the fireworks assembled for a two-hour display at Hornchurch, Essex, went off in two minutes when sparks fell on stacked boxes and sent up everything in a short burst. The crowd ran for safety but the - flying fireworks caught some and caused same damage. Several rockets ignited accidentally in a Lancashire village and shot into the crowd and injured seven.

With queues up to a mile long the underground’s stations in central London had to be closed periodically to prevent the choking of platforms and entrances as the Victory Day millions, attempted to return to homes after midnight. Thousands gave up hope when the time for the last trains approached and the queues were not diminished. They settled down in parks, gardens and doorways to wait for the first transport of Sunday morning. London had taken in more than could be handled in the time, even al* though the complex underground system was carrying one packed train swiftly after another. Many women and children were caught in dangerous crushes in the Westminster Bridge and Charing Cross station areas. The police kept the specially-built barriers closed and allowed only a thin trickle through as thousands massed at both ends of the bridge. Mounted police and ambulances had to be called to Charing Cross station approaches as the crowd piled dangerously into the confined space. An hour before the dawn, when the congestion was sorted out. London became a city half asleep and still half awake. Some revellers fitfully maintained song and dance, but most dozed uneasily on hard couches, crouched in coats or huddled under sheets of news* paper. Some even slept at bus stops , to "be first in the morning queues.