FESTIVE LONDON

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 429, 10 May 1937, Page 7

FESTIVE LONDON

CROWNING OF THE KING Lavish Coronation Plans London, April 17. The work started nearly a year ago by a large Oxford Street store, for a £25,000 Coronation dscorai ive scheme, is hearing completion. S:r< William Rmd Dick, R.A., has supervised elaborate sculpture work by 18 eminent sculptors. Features of the scheme ere a fi-rur-e of Peace, 70ft. i*igh. above Ihe roof of he -building, by Mr. Gilbert B y s. and “The Emit ■ Homage to the Throne,” deigned by Sir Will: m Reid Dick and executed by Mr. J. A. Stevenson. “g-o w : U l-e corner pieces illustrating the Dominions. On another frontage th?re will be a pie urd lOOf’; long, “The Great Ports of the British Empire,” and 30 paintings of incidents in the life of the King. The decorations will be floodlit by 450 projectors. Palace Floodlighting. Electric II nips, totalling 100,000 candle-power, will be used: for floodlighting Buckingham Palace during he; cel brations. The last occasion that the Palace was floodlit was; during he Jubilee celebrations in 1935. There is every indication that the London streets will be more lavishly decollated than ever before, and, the development of floodlighting will make he illuminations a sight not -easily forgotten. Floodlighting is t.o remain in action until May 17, and the street decorations will be kept in post ion until May 27. In Bond Street window-boxes will be painted in one of the four colours of the Plantagenet Crowns, poppyred, sapphire-blue, emerald-gre -n, or old gold. Most of the window-boxes w'll contain “Pl< ck Prince” hydran geas, a dark blue flower. Hoardings to be Painted. * Green window-boxes planted with red, white and blue flowrrs —rhododendrons, marguerites and cinerarias —will line w'ndows for the whole length of Regent S'reeti The G’J . ‘hoardings wh'jch wUk protect shop indows from the ciowds will be pain led in the same colours. In the 28 towns of London, CoroI ion commit'.ee-s have, done their work, and the plans for the celebrations are now complete. The City Council of Wes'minster and the 27 borough will spend nearly £147,0i)0. Next to We-stmins' er, where the outlay will be £30,000,- and six miles of streets will be decorated, Stepney have arranged tke most, imposing ‘isplay. The sum authorised 'here is £20,000, and there will be entertainments for 30,000 schoolchildren, old-age pensioners end mothers of young children. In addition, 500 poor children are to be given a fortnight’s oLday. Two of the local parks will f be illumina'ed. Children's Holiday Camps. Several councils have approved of the idea of sending children, txway to a holiday camp, and about 386,000 London children can look forward to entertainments of various kinds. Many councils will distribute gifts <o old people; Finsbury’s gifts will be groceries for 3000 old.age gensioners end 2500 unemployed. Greenwich will adopt a similar plan. Lewisham promises souvenir gifts to 4000 old folk, and Chelsea to 600. Hackney is to hand to each of 2600 old.age pensioners a King George VI halfcrown, and Woolwich will- give 5s vouchers to 400 old people and 180 blind. Boroughs where there are set entertainmen's for the old are:—Battersea, tea for 2000; Fulham, tea tor 1200; Hammersmith, entertainment tor 2000; Lambeth, enter aininenr for 5000.