Norwich Pageantry

Civic Visit 12th June 1932:

Pageantry 00 [ Civic Visit to Norwich Cathedral 1932 ]

Silver Jubilee of Their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary as celebrated at Norwich on 6th May 1935:

Pageantry 01 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Portraits ]

Prizes of silver cups were awarded in a competition for the best decorated premises in the following classes: Houses; Business Premises; Clubs; Streets.

Pageantry 02 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Decorations: Eastern Counties Omnibus Company Thorpe Road (first prize), Rampant Horse Street, Chamberlins Guildhall Hill (commended), Palmers Red Lion Street (commended), London Street (honours shared with Prince of Wales Road), Jarrolds Exchange Street (third prize) ]

Pageantry 03 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Decorations: Great Eastern Hotel, Price of Wales Road, Royal Arcade, Dewhurst Lower Goat Lane (especially commended), Royal Hotel Agricultural Hall Plain, Garlands London Street (second prize) ]

Pageantry 04 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Decorations: Looses Magdalen Street, Howards Fyebridge Street, Tramway Shelter and Timekeeper’s office Orford Place, Harmer’s Clothing Factory St Andrew’s Street (architect Edward Boardman) ]

Pageantry 05 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Troop review ]

The official celebrations commenced on Monday 6th May with a review of troops by H.M.Lieutenant of Norfolk (Russell J.Colman J.P.) on the football field behind Britannia Barracks. Also present were the Lord Mayor (P.W.Jewson J.P.) and the Sheriff (Councillor W.E.Walker J.P.).

Pageantry 06 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Mousehold: Lads of Watts’ Naval School, St James’ Hill bonfire built by Norwich Scouts ]

Pageantry 07 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 United Thanksgiving Service at Norwich Cathedral: Mace Bearers, Town Clerk, Lord Mayor, Lord Lieutenant ]

Beginning at 11:30 the service lasted for over an hour. Taking part were representatives of the Established Church, the Free Churches, the Jewish Community, Christian Science, The Catholic Apostolic Church, The Society of Friends and the Salvation Army.

Pageantry 08 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Tree planting ]

The Sheriff planted a Plane Tree at Chapel Field Gardens to commemorate the Silver Jubilee. Other trees were planted at Earlham Park, Sewell Park, and Castle Gardens.

Pageantry 09 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Street procession: Carnival Queen, Zulus (Mr W.Osborne - first prize), Norwich Co-operative Society’s tableau, Castle Hotel tableau, Carlton Cinema tableau ]

Commencing at 2:45pm the Street Procession left Newmarket Road for its tour of the City. Prizes were awarded for best entries.

Pageantry 10 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Street procession: Trades tableau, Local Marconi dealers’ tableau, Mann Egerton’s tableau, “The Housing Problem” (prize for Schools tableaux), H.M.S. King George V ]

Pageantry 11 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 Street procession: “Britannia” trade tableau, Norwich Relays Ltd (provided some of the music en route), Eastern Counties Omnibus Co Trade Motor Vehicle (third prize), Welsh tableau, Fire brigade Motor Pump ]

Pageantry 12 [ Silver Jubilee 1935 St James’ Hill beacon ]

The Beacon, built on St James’ Hill near the Britannia Barracks by the Norwich Boy Scouts was lit at 10pm by the Lord Mayor as his last official act on Jubilee Day. This was one of a large chain of beacons throughout the County, and at the time of lighting it a rocket of the Scout colours - yellow green and red - was fired. The fire blazed to a great height and could be seen from many parts of the city. The event itself attracted a vast crowd of many thousands to the hill, and as the beacon got well alight it became bright enough for the smallest newspaper print to be read on practically any part of the hill where the fire cast its glare.

Coronation of Their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as celebrated at Norwich on 12th May 1937:

Pageantry 13 [ Coronation 1937 Portraits ]

Pageantry 14 [ Coronation 1937 Decorations: Woolworths Rampant Horse Street (first prize business premises), 100 Prince of Wales Road (second prize business premises), Wincarnis Works Westwick Street (very highly commended business premises), C.J.Howard Fyebridge Street (very highly commended business premises), The Norfolk Club Upper King Street (very highly commended business premises) ]

Prizes were awarded in a competition for the best decorated premises, the judges being appointed by the Norwich Chamber of Commerce Coronation Committee. The general level of excellence attained was such that only by the most careful though and checking of one scheme with another, in repeated visits, were they able to come to their decision.

Pageantry 15 [ Coronation 1937 Decorations: 2 Little Bethel Street (highly commended private house), 2 St Lawrence Lane (highly commended private house), Rose Yard St Augustine’s (special mention private house), St Giles’ Street (highly commended street decoration), London Street (third prize street decoration) ]

Pageantry 16 [ Coronation 1937 Decorations: Buntings and Rampant Horse Street, Orford Place (second prize street decoration), Anchor of Hope Inn 114 Oak Street (good business premises), The Market Place, Municipal Building Market Place ]

Pageantry 17 [ Coronation 1937 Decorations: Prince of Wales Road, St Benedict’s Street, Charing Cross, Greens Orford Place, F.E.Gunn 84-86 St Giles’s Street ]

Pageantry 18 [ Coronation 1937 Decorations: The Music House 167 King Street, 104 Chapel Field Road, T.Horth 29 Magdalen Street, Electricity Works Duke Street, 13-15 Station Road ]

Pageantry 19 [ Coronation 1937: St James’ Hill Beacon (built by the Norwich Boy Scouts from slum-clearance materials May 8th-9th), The “Elizabeth Simpson” lifeboat from Gorleston at Foundry Bridge ]

Pageantry 20 [ Coronation 1937 Cathedral service: Town Clerk, Acting Lord Mayor, Sheriff, Church Choirs, Church Lads’ Brigade ]

A United Service in Norwich Cathedral opened the City’s Coronation Day celebrations with appropriate solemnity. Clergy of all denominations took part. The Ex-service men with their medals filled the north transept, while the public were accommodated in the nave.

Pageantry 21 [ Coronation 1937 Procession: Lord Mayor’s Coach, Sheriff and Mrs D.G.Buxton, 30th Field Brigade R.A. riding in “Dragon”, Pikemen of Monk’s Regiment ]

Commencing at 5:30pm the Street Procession left Bracondale Woods for its tour of the city. Despite heavy cloud, the route was everywhere lined with thousands of cheering people.

Pageantry 22 [ Coronation 1937 Procession: Lads of ’s Naval Training School, Soldiers and Sailors ]

Pageantry 23 [ Coronation 1937 Procession: Boy Scouts, Mounted Herald, St George and his Squires, “Britannia” portrayed by Miss Doris Pitt ]

Pageantry 24 [ Coronation 1937 Procession: Dominion of Canada tableau, Commonwealth of Australia tableau, English folk dancers, “Coal” a display by the Co-operative Society ]

Pageantry 25 [ Coronation 1937 Procession: Decorated and old time bicycles, Children’s mounted and fancy parade, Lad’s club ]

Pageantry 26 [ Coronation 1937 Procession: Sedan Chair, 18c. Fire pump, Eccles Sea Monster “Eustace” (Mutual Service Club), Youngs Crawshay and Youngs vehicle ]

Pageantry 27 [ Coronation 1937 St James’ Hill Beacon ]

At 9:30pm the Diamond Fireworks Company of Ipswich gave a display on St James’ Hill which lasted for about an hour. Unfortunately, owing to rain penetrating the tent in which they had been stored, some of the set-pieces did not completely light up. Nevertheless the display was greatly appreciated. The beacon, which had been built by the Norwich Boy Scouts, was lit by the Acting Lord Mayor at 10:30pm as the concluding item of an eventful day.

Roman Catholic Procession 19th June 1938:

Pageantry 28 [ Catholic procession 1938 (following Corpus Christi - proceeded along Earlham Road to Heigham House Heigham Road) ]

Pageantry 29 [ Catholic procession 1938 Priest and Acolytes ]

Norwich Civic Week 23rd-29th October 1938:

Pageantry 30 [ Civic week 1938 Lord Mayor’s Coach (outside the Guildhall having brought the Mayor from his residence for the Civic Procession), Lord Mayor Sheriff and Deputy Lord Mayor ]

The week commenced with a Civic Procession from the Guildhall to St Peter Mancroft church, at which a service was held.

Pageantry 31 [ Civic week 1938 Bethel Street: Corporation officials in procession, Illuminated model of the City Hall in torchlight procession (27th October) ]

The culmination of the week’s events was a visit by Their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in order to open the newly completed City Hall (Saturday 29th October 1938)

Pageantry 32 [ Civic week 1938 Royal visit: Market Place, St Andrew’s Hall (arrivals for luncheon following opening) ]

Pageantry 33 [ Civic week 1938 Royal visit St Andrew’s Hall (arrivals for luncheon) ]

Pageantry 34 [ Civic week 1938 St Andrew’s hall Royal visit (arrivals and departures) ]

The 1950’s:

Pageantry 35 [ Lord Mayor’s Coach (brought back into use for the first time since 1939 on Lord Mayor’s day 23rd May 1950 - passing St Giles’ Church), Elephant Parade (on Prince of Wales Road en route to the Theatre Royal 29th November 1953) ]

Pageantry 36 [ Norwich Festival 18th-30th June 1951 Princess Elizabeth (en route from City Hall to the Castle and then to the Assembly House for lunch) ]

The Festival was opened by Princess Elizabeth who spoke from the balcony of the City Hall. She then proceeded to the Castle Museum to open the Colman Galleries, built through a bequest by the late Russell Colman to house his collection of pictures of the Norwich School which he had also left to the City.

Pageantry 37 [ Festival 1951 Procession carts (24th June - also held on two other days): Queen Boudicea, Roman Soldiers, Mediaeval Trade Guilds “Hell Cart”, Thomas Erpingham, Kett’s Rebellion ]

Pageantry 38 [ Festival 1951 Procession carts: Queen Elizabeth I, “Nine Days’ Wonder” (danced from London to Norwich), King Charles II knights of Dr Thomas Browne, John Crome, George Borrow and Gipsies, Snapdragon and Whifflers ]

Pageantry 39 [ Civic visit to Cathedral 6th June 1954: Lord Mayor (Councillor H.Allen), Sheriff, Deputy Lord Mayor, Coach and Mounted Police (at Lord Mayor’s residence 78 Harvey Lane), Sea Cadets on Riverside ]

Home