Elizabethan is the motif set by Rushden for the Coronation, and Mr. George Ette has designed an archway which will span High street at a point opposite the Ministry of National Insurance office. Tudor houses on either side will reach to a height of 22ft 7ins and the archway of flowers, surmounted by the Tudor Rose emblem and flags, will be 18ft 7ins high. The design has been approved by the town’s Coronation committee and shopkeepers are invited to incorporate the theme in their own decoration schemes. Work on the structure will commence a fortnight before the Coronation.

The view of the town committee, expressed this week by the council chairman (Mr. J. Allen) is that it would be better to hold these revels on subsequent days – possibly in the evening.

Mr. Allen said the official programme for June 2 had been made known as early as possible in order to avoid congestion. Too many separate events would mean failure for a programme at the Hall Grounds.

Seven Hundred for Luncheon - Rushden’s Coronation plans develop
Seven hundred and ten veterans wish to attend the old people’s Coronation luncheon at Rushden, and more than 500 children have entered for the sports at the Hall grounds.

The luncheon will be held on Thursday, June 4, and two halls, the Windmill and the Waverley, have been engaged. Over 400 veterans expressed a preference for the Waverley Hall, but this holds only 200, and allocations to the Waverley will therefore be limited to those residing in the east ward of the town, together with a small number from the south ward.

Entertainment will follow lunch at both halls, and the Rotary Club has been asked to organise transport for those who need it.

Personal cards will be issued later to those who have applied, and there will be gift parcels for old people who cannot attend. Doctors and ministers will be asked to help compile a list for this purpose.

Floodlighting
Official decorations in the town are now estimated to cost £300. Floodlighting will be installed at St. Mary’s Church, the War Memorial and Rushden Hall.

After the Coronation Day parade sports and entertainments will run continuously at the Hall Grounds – where refreshments will be laid on – until the torchlight procession leaves for Spencer Park. Fireworks costing £150 have already been obtained for a display at the “Rec.”

Rushden Co-operative Society’s education committee is defraying the cost of all first prizes at the sports meeting.

There are 1,200 souvenir spoons for children under school age. Illustrated souvenir programmes for sale to the public are being prepared with the assistance of the Chamber of Trade and Co-operative Society.

Artist advises on decorations

With less than five weeks to the Coronation, High Street traders at Rushden are beginning to ponder in earnest over the problem of decorations – and the theme set by Mr. George Ette, the local artist, in his sketch of the Elizabethan arch, flanked by Tudor houses, which will span the south end of the street.

Mr. Ette, whom we approached for suggestions to pass on, has very definite ideas. The main theme, he says, should be the Tudor Rose, and as pennants will be hung on alternate lamp-posts in silver, orange and azure blue, these are the colours he suggests should be incorporated in shop decorations.

One provisional sketch which he has drawn with a hairdresser’s window display in mind features a background of good quality wallpaper with a crown motif, a large Tudor rose against three bands of colour in crepe and a velveteen base on which two period figures are surrounded by cosmetics.

“I should like to see the use of flowers, wherever possible, instead of bunting,” he told us; “lanterns and candle lamps and small figures in Elizabethan costumes.”

Window schemes

The “Echo and Argus” posed typical High Street shops for Mr. Ette’s suggestions. Here are his replies.

Electrical shop: A large revolving Tudor rose for a centrepiece – adorned with such products as chromium-plated torches.

Gown shop: Contrast the two Elizabethan periods here. If is not possible to obtain the figures the appropriate gowns could be draped over period furniture with coronets, etc.

Shoe shop: Again, contrast seems the solution. If it is not possible to obtain period shoes, a background of etchings.

Food shops: Divide the windows and illustrate the old and new packaging styles – the older shopkeepers will remember the “blue-bag” days.

The butcher

“I should like to see butchers in the traditional costume,” he went on – “the striped blue aprons in place of white smocks, with the old steel worn around the waist.”

And Mr. Ette is all for the old barber’s pole – white one, wound round with red and blue ribbons.

Another wish was that the railway arch and bank – a prominent point in the parade route – might be banked with flowers and suitably adorned.

About exteriors, Mr. Ette said: “The best idea, I think, would be to have a batten framework to cover the panel where each shop divides with upright strips in the three colours (silver, orange and azure) about 10 feet high. A rose emblem – say eight inches in diameter – could be stationed about eight feet high on that background. Again, flowers across the top of the shop wherever possible.

“It would give more gaiety to the street than bunting and flags.”

Rushden’s Carnival Hangs Fire

The Coronation Day parade at Rushden in 1937 produced the finest carnival procession ever seen in the town. Lack of entries for the 1953 parade has now caused the promoters to extend the closing date until May 27 in the hope that the towns-people will rally round.

The counter attraction of TV has brought about the general lack of response in the opinion of Mr. Ernest Newell, parade committee chairman, who points out, however, that the decision to stage the parade on Coronation afternoon rested with the townspeople and the decision was made at a town’s meeting five or six months ago.

Without the competition of TV at the last Coronation the parade evoked the admiration of thousands, many travelling into the town from the surrounding district. Organised by the Boot Manufacturers’ Association, it featured 31 entries in the mounted factory tableaux class alone.

People still talk in the town today about H.M.S. Coronation – the battleship trimmed with 9,000 handmade flowers – Show Boat, the Edith Cavell tableau, a Zuider Zee scene Airport, Westward Ho! And Queen Elizabeth and her Court, among others.

The supply of motor vehicles for the mounted tableaux ran out, and horse-drawn vehicles, including railway drays, were used. Real lambs appeared in one or two of the settings.

It is the lack of “bulk” that is worrying today’s organisers – and they appeal especially to factory groups, tradesmen and youth organisations to whip up enthusiasm in the few remaining days.

A contingent of 30 airmen from the U.S.A.F. base at Chelveston has accepted an invitation to take part in the general parade, but many local societies and units have not replied.

The closing date for all carnival entries was originally fixed for next Monday.

Rushden Puts On a Mixed Garb
Still waiting for the show-piece

Though palpably “unfinished” on Wednesday (writes an “Echo and Argus” reporter), Rushden’s decorations gave no promise of a symphony. They were patchy in design and distribution, achieving a beauty effect when found in close array, but failing to strike a note of artistic unity.

The official decorators were not among the early birds. Their Tudor arch of obvious promise was but a skeleton of builder’s tubing, and their verdant lamp-posts were still without verdure. They had no plan to fleck the sky with pennants – what a pity this was! – and their hint to High Street about Tudor roses and pretty shades of colour had but limited effect.

So far as exteriors were concerned, it was every man for himself, and red, white and blue predominated as of old. Good notions, well-worn schemes and barren patches met the eye irregularly. A few rich banners and pictorial devices, with plenty of E’s and R’s and crowns in gilt, broke into the prevailing colours. Floral window boxes and hanging baskets showed Nature herself to be no dabbler in décor.

Modern touch

On the inside of its plate glass High Street was much more modern. Hardly a shop-keeper omitted an effort in keeping with Coronation-time, and many brought off something worthy of the time. How they emphasised the national colours among their normal stock-in-trade was certainly a thing to admire.

The orderly modern cult in exterior display was best exemplified outside High Street, for John White, Ltd. had sentinelled their factories with ranks of gleaming standards, each topped with a rigid banner of heraldic pattern. The Lime Street building had these jutting-up loftily from its long, flat skyline, and draping on the front elevation changed their colour at night under influence of flood-lighting.

Other floodlighting – supplied officially – was tried out on Wednesday night at St. Mary’s Church and Rushden Hall, and the War Memorial is to follow suit.

Decorations in the side streets developed spasmodically. Queen Street hung out a banner at the High Street end and followed up with red, white and blue pennants overhead, bunting on the lamp-posts and flowers, streamers or photographs at every other house.

Gold crowns

On the Higham Road estate – in St. James’ Close and The Hedges – there were gay arrays of pennants and gold crown surmounted standards. Portland Road and Sartoris Road were among the earliest to hang out their decorations, and Spencer Road brought out the strings of flags it used in 1937.

Most of the street “workers” were enrolled from the stay-at-home corps of husbands over the week-end, and the shopkeepers dealing in decorations reported Saturday to be their busiest day of the year.

By Thursday morning there were six entrants in the competition for the best decorated street – The Hedges, Queen Street, Sartoris Road, Fletcher Road, Oakley Road and Pytchley Road. Judging takes place on Monday evening by Mr. R. W. Abbott (president of the Boot Operatives’ Union branch), Mr. W. G. T. Jones (vice-president) and Mrs. G. Johnson (representing the Rushden, Higham Ferrers and District Chamber of Trade).

The prize is a huge square cake, iced in blue and white and bound with a scarlet ribbon, which has been presented by Mr. A. A. Allebone, chairman of the Urban Council.

Entries for the competition must be received on Saturday at the latest by Mr. H. G. Brisley, the decorations committee secretary.

………………………..

29th May, 1953

Carnival entries still rising

Prospects for Rushden’s Coronation day parade continue to improve. Sixty competitive entries have now been received, and in view of the rising interest the town committee is prepared to accept further entries until the last moment.

For the benefit of readers who have not memorised the facts or secured an official souvenir programme, here is an outline of Coronation events at Rushden…..

Saturday: Re-dedication of St. Mary’s Church spire, 3 p.m., followed by pealing of bells.

Sunday: United service in Hall Grounds, 3.30 p.m., (If wet, services at St. Mary’s, Park Road Baptist and Park Road Methodist).

The Day

Tuesday: Morning peal of bells; 2 p.m., carnival procession from Spencer Park to Hall Grounds via Wellingborough Road, Station Road and High Street; 3.30 p.m., children’s sports at Hall; 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., entertainments from Hall platform by Pat Terry’s Puppets, St. Cecilia’s Singers and Operatic Society; 9 p.m., the Queen’s message relayed in the grounds; afternoon and evening, concerts by Town Band; 9.15 p.m., old-time dancing; 10 p.m., torchlight procession from Hall to Spencer Park for bonfire and fireworks.

Thursday: Old people’s luncheons and entertainments at Windmill and Waverley halls, 12.30 p.m.

Sunday, June 7: Youth service in Hall Grounds, 2.45 p.m. preceded by parade from Rectory Road. (If wet service in Park Road Baptist Church).

Apart from the official programme, the churches will hold special services next Sunday. As an example, High Street Independent Wesleyan Church will make an innovation (evening) with a liturgical order of service including the General Thanksgiving. Sermon subjects: “The Divine Thorne” and “The Marks of Monarchy.”

For Sartoris Road residents the Rev. E. T. Hughes, vicar of St. Peter’s, will conduct a service on Mr. H. Knight’s lawn at 9 a.m. on Coronation Day.