Page 962 - Reading Mercury

so that more than the 50 scheduled races run, finishing up with a special event for the
whole family.
Principal trophy at stake was a cup for the handicap mile, won in convincing style
by Keith Belshaw. A special prize for a game effort was given to eight-years-old Dane
Swallow, of Arborfield, who retired after three laps.
This year the crowning ceremony was on the Langborough recreation ground, and it
was unfortunate that the Queen, Miss Jennie Snuggs, and her entourage, arrived
twenty minutes late for their first engagement of the day. But the patience of the
crowd who had been entertained by the band of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal
regiment was well rewarded, for in an open landau drawn by two greys, the queen and
her attendants, Miss Rita Worner and Miss Marie Carr were charming. The Queen, in
a long white gown and jewelled blue cape stepped forward and was crowned by the
Mayoress, Mrs. H.I. Cozens.
While the “royal party” was visiting the funfair, the Wokingham Hospital—where
they toured all the wards, including the new maternity block—and the Oakfields old
people’s hostel, the children were enjoying themselves at a fancy dress contest. Over
200, in costumes of all kinds, gave the judges (including nurses from the Royal
Berkshire Hospital) a difficult task.
Feature of the day—as always—was the procession. The entries for this provided all
the ingredients for a great success; but it was marred by the disjointed way it toured
the town. Several times the gaps were so long that many thought the procession had
ended.
Quite outstanding was the float entered by Messrs. Page of Camberley. This was a
large-as-life pink elephant, made of chicken wire and two hundredweight of tissue
paper, that waved its ears and trumpeted realistically.
Another lively tableau was the “swing to the Liberals” float which had its own
private band. One of the latest factories to open on the industrial estate was
represented by a giant perambulator “A New Arrival!—Johnsons.”
A ferocious-looking gorilla and a “missionary” cooking over a real fire, helped to
make the Royal Berkshire Players’ contribution noteworthy, and the Wokingham
Players also took the opportunity of reminding the public of their theatre-building
efforts. The British Legion “Wizard of Oz” float attracted much attention, and local
Brownies were obviously enjoying themselves following the “Pied Piper of Hamelin.”
A feature of the procession, seen for the first time, was a collection of antique
bicycles, the oldest dating back to 1864. After the procession an auction of “slave
girls” proved a popular spectacle on the Langborough recreation ground.
Two dances were held to cater for the differing tastes—a more formal carnival ball
at the Drill Hall and “twisting” in the open air on the recreation ground. Then, as night
fell, people flocked in their thousands to see a magnificent half-hour firework display
given by the Rainbow Firework Company of Finchampstead.
Then shortly before midnight, the curtain came down on a carnival that many will
remember for years to come.
GUY FLETCHER QUARTET WINS TALENT CONTEST
They went on stage last, but emerged the winners of the Berkshire amateur talent
contest, held during a Midnight Matinee at the Ritz Cinema, Wokingham, on Friday
last week. The Guy Fletcher Quartet, of Hurst, with their vocalist Jackie Daniels,
played, besides one comedy act, two numbers of their own arrangement and gained
the judges’ verdict.
The contest, run in conjunction with the Wokingham Carnival, attracted about thirty
entries from all over the county. Following elimination heats during the week, the

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