A SOCIETY COMEDY OF ERRORS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 September 1931, Page 8

A SOCIETY COMEDY OF ERRORS

MIXED GUESTB. HEAVY RAIN AND CHILLY WIND. LONDON, July 16. Two important weddings, one at Westminster Abbey, the other St. Margaret’s Westminster, taking place at nearly the same time yesterday afternoon, led to some confusion. The Earl of Erne was marrying L dy Davina Lytton at the Abbey at two. At about the same time at St. Margaret’s Viscount Brentford’s son, the Hon Lancelot Joynsdn-Hicks, was being married to Miss Phyliss Allfrey. The choice of ceremony proved puzzling to guests arriving from the direction of Whitehall and intending to go to the Abbey. Those who came down Victoria Street, however could scarcely fail to miss their entrance, and were directed safely into Dean’ s Yard. But outside St. Margaret’s chauffeur after chauffeur, thinking lie had reached his destination, drew up before the awning marking the doorway. AT THE WRONG CHURCH. Several guests descended and vanished within, only to reappear some seconds later, at a considerably accelerated tempo, waving francticaily to receding vehicles and glancing agitatedly at watches. After this the door attendant and the police duty had a hasty conversation with the driver of each car as it drew up. The p.rcentage of those waved on round the corner was high. Excitement reached its peak when the attendant slammed the door of one saloon too lustily. With a crash the entire window fell on to the pavement. At the conclusion of the Abbey ceremony a few of the guests left b,v the north door and walked down the pathway to Parliament Square. Hard on their heels came the Hon Lancelot Joyn&on-Hicks and his bride, emerging from the west door of St.; Margarets. Beneath a single umbrella in the pelting rain thy walked the twenty yards or so to the street ; before the admiring glances of a large crowd of women. Lord Brentford followed immediately,. and some minutes later Mr and Mrs Rudyard Kipling ( were to bo seen moving quietly through -the cro ■' d apparently unrecognised. * PAVEMENT PIROUETTE. In spite of practically continuous rain and a chilly wind, crowds of women assembled early to watch the arrival of both weddings. fi .nany selected to group themselves round the west door of the Abbey, but when it was seen that all the guests were passing into Dean’s Yarc! there was a rush to swell the throng there and in Victoria Street. Mounted police kept the crowd back !as they pressed forward to catch a glimpse of the Earl of Erne driving away with his bride, It "Was also ' a mounted policeman who gave the St. Margaret’s crowd. 6f several * hundreds and the taxi-seeking guests a final thrill when his horse decided to execute some complicated steps . on tin crowded pavement. Guests and sightseers with one accord forgot the rain, and jumped into the road until the performance was ended.