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Those umbrellas tell their own story about carnival day. The crowd gave Shani Wallis a great welcome as she arrived for the opening ceremony at Rushden Hall.
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Rushden’s charity carnival last Saturday met the fate of several other post-war promotions in the town – it was rained off after only part of the programme had been carried out.
Almost miraculously, the carnival procession from Spencer Park to Rushden Hall coincided with a lull in the rain which had been falling since mid-morning. Miss Margaret Parker made her scheduled ride as Carnival Queen, supported by a long and gay column, and crowds lined the route had good entertainment.
Four thousand people then went into the grounds of the Hall and, with many umbrellas aloft, greeted Shani Wallis, the young star of Stage, TV and films, who in a speech from the bandstand (used instead of the open platform nearby) said she had many friends in the district and happy memories of the years when, as a child, she lived at Wymington.
The Urban Council members headed by Mr. Ernest Newell (chairman) and joined by Mrs. Newell and the Mayor and Mayoress of Higham Ferrers (Mr. and Mrs R. W. Kilsby) attended the ceremony.
After Miss Parker had presented the prizes all further events were called off for the day, though many people lingered in the sodden park to obtain Miss Wallis’s autograph or crowd into a marquee where Rushden Chamber of Trade had staged an enterprising and highly attractive exhibition of its members’ wares.
Bought an Iron
Miss Wallis, too, made a thorough tour of the exhibition, buying an electric iron and taking a close interest in each stand. Having spent two hours at the fete, she left to visit her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J. Darlison, at Wymington.
Most of the postponed entertainments were carried through in dull weather on Monday evening, and a surprisingly large number of people turned up to see them. The events included children’s racing, a musical cycle ride by schoolgirls, a display by “Jake,” the Alsatian, and a fire-fighting demonstration. Stalls and side-shows were able to make up in some part for the business lost on Saturday
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Rushden failed to provide a climate suitable for harem conditions, but these girls make no trouble about that. They had to wait in
the cold rain while the procession assembled, but their spirits
were quite waterproof.
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An up-to-date rocket tableau
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By midweek the receipts, including money raised in advance by the girls competing for the title of Carnival Queen were approaching £900.
Profits will be allocated at a later date.
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