The Children’s Fête in Hyde Park, 1887.
As a refreshing set-off to the mouthings of mobs in Hyde Park, let us
turn to the prettiest and pleasantest sight that the Park ever beheld,
namely, the Children’s Fête in Hyde Park, on June 22, 1887, in
commemoration of the Queen’s Jubilee, the following account of which is
taken from _The Times_ of June 23:--
“Hyde Park yesterday was the scene both of festivity and ceremonial, the
children being the happy mortals who were especially privileged to take
part in the former, and witness the latter. It was a kind thought that
prompted the organization of a monster treat for the boys and girls of
the poorer classes in this season of general jubilation, and equally
kind was the interest at once taken in the matter by the heads of our
Royal house. It would be hard to conceive any form of enjoyment more
calculated to impress upon youthful minds the exceptional circumstances
of the present week, than yesterday’s _fête_. Even if it had not been
graced with the presence of her Majesty, and of the members of her
family, the occasion would, probably, never have slipped from the memory
of any child who shared in the day’s amusements; but, as the little ones
were not only entertained on a scale which must have surprised the most
imaginative of them, but were actually honoured by a special visit from
the Sovereign herself, it is, indeed, likely to remain for ever
indelibly fixed on their minds. To Mr. E. Lawson,[55] who originated the
idea which was realized yesterday, the children owe a debt of gratitude.
Thanks are also due from them to the many donors who supplied the funds
required to defray the costs of the _fête_. First among these were the
proprietors of _The Daily Telegraph_, who headed the list of
subscriptions with a very large sum,[56] and undertook the collection of
subscriptions, and the general management of the festival. To the
Committee of Organization also the gratitude of the children ought to
extend. The task of arranging for their safety, and providing for their
wants, involved no slight amount of forethought and care, and was
fulfilled with a conscientiousness which deserved and commanded success.
“The portion of the Park which was the scene of the festivity was that
which is seldom visited by any large concourse of civilians, except for
the purpose of expressing dissatisfaction with the laws, or the system
of government. On this occasion, however, the Reformers’ Tree was
forgotten, and nothing but expressions of satisfaction were heard. The
playground of the children extended from the drive, on the north of the
Serpentine, to the north of the Park: it was bounded on the east by the
trees which shadow the roadway leading to the Marble Arch, and its
breadth westward was about a quarter of a mile. On this level expanse,
about 26,000 children disported themselves from noon till dewy eve. All
were in the highest spirits, and all behaved as well as the best friends
could wish. The amusements provided were multifarious and varied, and
supplemented by impromptu additions, such as racing and dancing, which
gave scope for physical exercise. The day was lovely, and not
oppressively hot. With such conditions, what wonder that the children
enjoyed themselves!
“The duty of selecting them--for, of course, they were but
representative of their class--had been performed under the supervision
of Mr. J. Diggle, chairman of the London School Board. The selection had
been made among the Board Schools and Voluntary Schools of the
metropolis, and that it had been made with care was evident. The
children were all spruce and clean, and in many cases attired with
unostentatious taste. The dresses of many of the girls were simple
white, the sashes which bound them being blue or yellow. The
prognostications of ill fortune, which had come from some quarters, were
wholly unfulfilled, no greater mishap occurring to any child than a
temporary indisposition brought on by heat and excitement. More than one
case of this kind occurred, but the possibility that medical aid might
be required in the course of the day had been provided for, and the
little patients were not left long unsoothed and unrelieved. That any
child, however young, should be lost, with so many friends at hand ready
to aid, was scarcely within the bounds of probability, but in case of
emergency a special tent had been erected for the reception of
stragglers who might be unable to give any lucid description of the
direction in which they wished to go. The difficulties which straying
children might otherwise have caused were also obviated by the simple
expedient of requiring each boy and girl to wear a ticket bearing the
name of the holder, and the number of the tent allotted to his or her
school. The watchful interest extended to their charges by the teachers
who accompanied the small folk, was almost in itself sufficient to
reassure the most nervous of mothers.
“The playground was surrounded with Venetian masts, erected at short
distances from one another. Near the Achilles statue there were clusters
of these masts. A gilt crown shone at the top of each, and between them
hung a banner of plush velvet, exhibiting, in gold letters, the
following fervent wish for the Queen’s welfare:--
‘God bless our Queen--not Queen alone,
But Mother, Queen, and Friend in one.’
“Though the children were not expected till nearly 1 o’clock, several
members of the Committee were on the ground long before this, completing
the necessary arrangements. Little, however, remained to be done; and
when the guests of the day did arrive, everything was in perfect
readiness. About 9 o’clock the police, whom, to the number of over 3000,
Sir Charles Warren[57] had detailed for different duties in connection
with the fête, commenced operations by clearing the enclosed ground of
all unauthorized persons. During the day admission was strictly confined
to those armed with invitation tickets, the issue of which had been by
no means lavish, so that adults present bore but a very small
proportion to the juveniles. The general public, numbering many
thousands, took up positions upon the outskirts of the reserved space,
which was, at points of the greatest pressure, fenced in with iron
hurdles, to prevent the encroachments of the crowd. Among those who, in
this somewhat disadvantageous position, patiently waited several hours
were very many of the children’s parents, and these can have obtained
only a passing glimpse of the Queen, and but a distant view of the
doings with the privileged circle.
“About 11 o’clock, a squadron of the 2nd Life Guards, and 200 men of the
Foot Guards, arrived to assist in keeping the ground, and, later in the
day, these were reinforced by two more troops of the 2nd Life Guards, to
keep the roadway clear for the Queen. The presence of the military added
greatly to the brightness of the scene. Soon after 1 o’clock all the
children had safely passed into the Park, and reached their allotted
playground. About 13,000, belonging to schools on the south side of
London, assembled in St. James’s Park at 12 o’clock; and, having been
marshalled by some 30 sergeants from Wellington Barracks, marched off,
four abreast, headed by Mr. Bennet Burleigh, and Mr. J. T. Helby, of the
London School Board. Proceeding past Buckingham Palace and up
Constitution Hill, they entered Hyde Park by the Grosvenor Gate, and
reached their destination, without mishap, and in capital order. A
column almost as large, consisting of children from the northern
districts of London, assembled in Regent’s Park soon after 11 o’clock,
and were put in position by Mr. Howard Vincent, M.P., Mr. H. Lawson,
M.P., Capt. E. Brodie, and Mr. W. Sheffield (drill instructor to the
London School Board). This column also reached the Park in good time,
and in good order. Smaller contingents that had assembled, the one in
Battersea Park and the other in Kensington Gardens, also arrived.
“Twenty-six thousand children had now to be fed, and to be amused for
several hours. The first thing was to feed them, and they were
accordingly marched off to the different tents, which were ranged at
intervals of fifty yards, five on either side, about fifty yards distant
from the central roadway, up which the Queen was later to proceed. Each
tent was 140 feet long, by 40 feet wide, but its accommodation was
severely tried, in ministering to the wants of 2500 children. There was,
however, no confusion. Each school knew the tent to which it was to
proceed; and, having marched thither, drew up outside. Then, in their
turn, the children in batches of 250 proceeded into the tent, and
received a paper bag containing their rations--a meat pie, a piece of
cake, a bun, and an orange--and were also presented with a silver-plated
memorial medal, having on one side a portrait of the Queen in 1837, and,
on the other, a portrait of her Majesty in 1887. During the afternoon,
lemonade, ginger beer, and milk were to be had in each tent, and there
were four large water-carts stationed in different parts of the ground,
which dispensed a plentiful supply of water to the thirsty. Each tent
was in charge of one lady, who was assisted by eleven other ladies and
twelve gentlemen. With such a staff, the work of dissemination rapidly
proceeded, and the children were soon supplied with their much
appreciated paper parcels.
“The children having picnicked on the grass, proceeded to roam at large
in search of amusement. They could not go far without finding it. It
was, indeed, a case of _l’embarras des richesses_, for the counter
attractions were many and various. There were a score of Punch and Judy
shows, eight Marionette theatres, eighty-six Cosmoramic Views and
Peep-shows, nine troups of performing dogs, monkeys and ponies; and, for
the special benefit of the boys, several hundred ‘Aunt Sallies’ and
‘Knock ’em downs.’ There were 100 large lucky-dip barrels, and a great,
distribution of presents, to the number of 42,000, consisting of
skipping-ropes, money-boxes, dolls, pencil-cases, tin whistles, walking
sticks, pop-guns, and _hoc genus omne_. Ten thousand small balloons,
inflated with gas, also afforded the children considerable amusement.
Meanwhile, the proceedings were enlivened with much good music. The
bands of the 2nd Life Guards, the Royal Horse Guards, Royal Artillery,
Royal Engineers and Grenadier Guards, with two or three civilian bands,
were stationed at different points, at such distances apart as to allow
of their playing simultaneously without conflicting, and the children
had the good taste to listen, and apparently to appreciate. Flitting to
and fro, from one point of attraction to the other, the young folks
seemed to be enjoying themselves greatly, and the time went quickly by.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales, with the three Princesses, arrived
soon after 4 o’clock, and appeared much pleased by the manifest
gratification which their presence afforded to the children. Their Royal
Highnesses, after having been received by Mr. Lawson, and conducted to
the Committee tent, proceeded to one of the ordinary tents, where the
distribution of memorial cups was going on. Having made their way
through the juvenile and excited throng which pressed around them, the
Prince and Princess handed a cup each to several of the children. The
visit was quite unpremeditated, and no arrangements had been made. It
was, therefore, a case of first come first served, and the children
struggled hard, with outstretched hands, in their efforts to secure a
cup from the hands of their Royal Highnesses. The Prince smiled
good-humouredly at their eagerness; and as he left the tent ’God bless
the Prince of Wales’ was sung with much heartiness. Their Royal
Highnesses then returned to the Committee tent, where the gentlemen and
ladies who, earlier in the day, had assisted in the tents, and other
invited guests, were assembled. At half-past 4 o’clock the bugle sound
announced that the amusements must end, and the music cease. The
children betook themselves to their respective tents, and, having been
duly collected together, under the charge of their masters and
mistresses, proceeded to take up positions along the road to be
traversed by the Queen. The bands were massed under the direction of Mr.
Dan Godfrey, and drawn up opposite the flag-staff where the Queen’s
carriage was expected to stop.
“The Queen was expected on the ground at half-past 5, but it was
considerably later before her Majesty’s procession arrived. In the
interval, several of the Royal guests joined the Prince and Princess of
Wales in the reserved enclosure, the children cheering lustily as they
drove past. When the time approached for her Majesty’s appearance, even
Mr. Dale’s huge balloon, which was unloosed from its fastenings, and
soared at once high into the air, failed to rouse anything approaching
to the excitement which so interesting an event was calculated to
arouse. The thoughts of the children were intent upon the Queen, and for
the moment they were engrossed with the prospect of seeing her. It may
be doubted even whether they paid much attention to the pealing of the
sweet-toned bells which Mr. Irving had allowed the Committee to remove
from the Lyceum Theatre, where until recently they were nightly heard in
the cathedral scene in _Faust_, and which now began to send across the
playground their soft and modulated sounds.
“At last, the appearance of a dozen mounted constables, trotting up the
roadway, betokened that the chief event of the day might shortly be
expected. Nor were the children disappointed this time, as they had been
once or twice previously, when carriages had driven up which they
thought might have contained the Queen, but which held occupants who
were unknown to them. The hoisting of the Royal Standard to the top of
the flag-staff, and the strains of the National Anthem, played by the
massed bands, removed the last doubt as to the nature of the _cortêge_
which now slowly entered the Park by the Achilles statue. First came a
party of Life Guards, with their flashing breast-plates and
plume-crested helmets, and then the Indian escort, who had played so
conspicuous a part in the pageant of the preceding day. Their swarthy
faces and stolid demeanour, and the strange beauty of their uniforms,
will long linger in the recollection of the youthful spectators. The
Royal carriages, which were immediately preceded by outriders in
scarlet, were all open, and some were drawn by four horses.
“The Queen’s carriage was stopped opposite the flag-staff, and the chief
ceremony of the day was at once begun. Miss Lawson, on behalf of the
children of the London Board and Voluntary schools, presented a bouquet,
and the Prince of Wales then led up to the carriage a little girl named
Florence Dunn, to whom her Majesty gave one of the memorial cups. The
Prince having explained that the child had never missed a single
attendance during the seven years she had passed at school, the Queen
expressed the pleasure which she felt in rewarding so industrious a
scholar. To Mr. Edward Lawson, who was also presented to her, she
intimated that she was extremely gratified to see the charming scene
which the Park presented. The Royal procession remained stationary a few
moments longer, while a verse of the ‘Old Hundredth’ was sung by the
children, and then resumed its progress northwards, leaving the Park by
the Fountain Gate, for Paddington station.
“The Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Royal guests who had not left
with the Queen, took their departure shortly afterwards, and the
children then returned to the tents, where simple refreshments were
again served out. Their red-letter day had come to an end, as even the
best things must, and, marshalled by their officers, they prepared to
return to their homes, where the story of their doings on the occasion
of the Queen’s Jubilee is pretty certain to be repeated many and many a
time.”
The memorial cups alluded to were of earthenware, specially manufactured
by Messrs. Doulton and Sons, at their potteries, Lambeth, and they had
on one side a portrait of the Queen as she was at her Accession in 1837,
and on the other a portrait of her at her Jubilee in 1887.
[Illustration]
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