Page 633 - Reading Mercury

Jordan (Bracknell), and W.B. Martin (Wokingham); starter, Second Officer Batchford
(Reading); steward, Mr. E. Hawkins (Wokingham); timekeeper, Mr. E. Farr
(Maidenhead). The competition was organised by the Wokingham Fire Brigade, under
Chief Officer W.B. Martin and Mr. C.W. Rawlings (secretary).
Brigades were required to couple three lengths of hose and hit a target.
The Harry Vincent Challenge Cup, valued at a hundred guineas, was won by Didcot
with the extraordinary good time of 34 3/5 secs. Goring (the holders) were second
with 35 2/5 secs. The other places were: 3, Wargrave, 36 2/5 secs.; 4, Pressed Steel
Works, 37 4/5 secs; 5, Windsor, 39 3/5 secs.; Pangbourne, 40 1/5 secs.
In the Cricket Field a display and demonstration was given by members of the
Berkshire branches of the Women’s League of Health and Beauty, under the
directions of Mrs. A.H. Finch (county organiser). Interspersed with the display was an
exhibition of dancing by Miss Sybil Bennett, of the Sybil School of Dancing,
Maidenhead.
Over 250 children paraded for the children’s fancy dress competitions in the cricket
field. Their costumes were judged by Dr. E. Ward, Mrs. Croker, Mrs. G.A.
Cheeseman, Mrs. Ratcliffe, Mrs. E.J. Braby, Mrs. Lawrence and Miss Chakirian, who
had as stewards Mrs. Wimbleton and her helpers. The Carnival Queen presented the
prizes to the children at the conclusion of the parade.
A RECORD PROCESSION
STRIKING FEATURES
People were very early in securing good positions in the streets for the carnival
procession, in which there was an increase of 14 entries on the 1935 carnival. The
entry was a record, and the procession will not be forgotten for some time. It took
between a quarter and half an hour to pass at various points, and was about a mile and
a half in length.
Heading the procession was a car, decorated in Coronation colours, driven by
Councillor G.C. Wilson, and in which were seated the Mayor and Mayoress.
Following them was the Carnival Queen and her retinue in a coach which had been
artistically designed by Mr. Dick Giles, of Wokingham. The coach was built on rather
unusual lines, and the raised throne was backed with a bat-like rear. The coach was
drawn by two magnificent and well-groomed Suffolk horses, lent by Mr. Henry
Bowyer. Incidentally, they were awarded a prize for the best decorated horses,
because of their ornamentations arranged to give a colourful display of Coronation
colours. It is impossible to give a full description of all the vehicles, and the costumes
of other entrants, but a reporter who inspected the procession before it commenced its
journey through the town, writes his impressions of the most striking entries. Several
Wokingham children combined to give a mounted tableau of a fairy queen, together
with her retinue and herald, depicted in a brilliant setting of evergreens. The
Wokingham St. John Ambulance Brigade had rather a good show with one of their
members sitting on a donkey, bound up after a supposed accident. It gave an idea of
the work the brigade do as “Good Samaritans,” the title of their entry, which won a
prize. Just like “the good old days” was the hansom cab of the gay “nineties” which
had received a good polishing before leaving the coach-house. Fearsome-looking
pirates, who in everyday life are scholars at Palmer School, were on board the galley,
“Dragon of the Sea.” Their craft was made by the teachers, and scholars, and the girls
were responsible for the making of costumes.
Wokingham Peace Pledge Group had an interesting tableau denouncing war.
Of course, Will Hay and his boys could not be forgotten. They were present min a
limited space, but room was given for scholastic duties and recreation—card-playing.

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