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May Queen in 1925

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Norwood News – Tuesday 5th May 1925, page 1

MITCHAM’S MAY QUEEN

PICTURESQUE CEREMONY ON THE CRICKET GREEN

Another attempt has been made to establish a Mitcham May Queen festival on the cricket green. The idea is to make it an annual affair. Success again attended the effort on Saturday.

Mrs. Coun. H. M. Hallowes, the chairman of the local council, attended, and gave the festival her blessing. She thanked the promoters for their determination to make the crowning of the May Queen a hardy annual on the Cricket Green at Mitcham, and promised them all the support and encouragement within her power. She favoured the festival because of the happiness and training it brought into the lives of the children.

The festival really emanates from the Brownies and Young Guides. Miss Law as the captain taking the lead, and it is to her chiefly, assisted by Mrs. Jolly and others, that the May celebration takes place.

Nearly a hundred Mitcham children took part, the girls being dressed in white with white shoes or sandals, and wore wreaths of flowers. The boys appeared in costumes representing archers, heralds, or farmers.

PROCESSION

A public procession through the main roads of Mitcham was watched with admiration by crowds of people. Everybody agreed it was a pleasing sight, and the children looked pretty. Fortunately, the rain kept off and did not mar their pleasure, or inconvenience them.

On arrival the Cricket Green, a public performance of crowning the May Queen was gone through with all the pomp and splendour associated with the old-time custom. Connie Wells, aged 12, made a very dainty May Queon, and in her canopy of floral boughs, she was crowned “Queen of the May,” by Irene Jones, a typical representation of Prince Charming.

OTHER CHARACTERS.

Other characters, suitably attired were the following :-

Trainbearers. — Winnie Wells, Barbara Oakes.

Maids of Honour. — Peggy Turner, Chriasie Keeffe, Margaret Mugridge, Gladys Sykes.

Pages. — Gwennie Jarman,Gracie Bishop, Peggy Scott, Peggy Carlton.

Prince. — Irene Jones.

Heralds. – Allan Millbank, Douglas Jolley.

Crown Bearer. — May Thomson.

Fairy Queen.- Gladys Siviour.

Fairies.— Reta Ashford, Gwennie Siviour, Doris Cox, Ruby Roberts, Sylvia Roberts, Lily Sutcliffe.

BO-Peep.- Gladys Pelling.

Shepherdess. — Pattie Ashforth.

Robin Hood. — Dora Croucher.

Archer. — Geoffrey Jolley.

Columbine. — Mona Watts.

Cupids. — Connie and Sybil Cordier.

Lavender Girls. — Florrie Wells, Girlie Downey.

Maypole Dancers. — Elsie Smith, Maisie Ware, Doris Melhuish, Ivy Sanders, Ivy Warren, Elsie Vagille, Amy Nightingale, Georgina Miles, Margaret Fleckney, Lily Fleckney, Winnie Osbourne, Marie Sayers.

Country Girls. — Daisy Miles, Irene Ault, Ivy Graham, Dolly Sullivan, Marjorie Morris, Ivy Sergeant, Gertie Read, Edith Poulton.

Ballet Dancers.— D. Boreham, B. King, P. Longhurst, M. Douglas, E. Douglas, G. Bennett, V. Morgan, J. Douglas, M. Watts, S. Jolley, R. Palmer.

REVELRIES

The new Queen, duly enthroned, thanked her subjects, and then the revelries began. First, flower strewing, then country dances, and the singing of “Come lassies and lads.”

Woodland ballets and dances by pupils of Miss Ruby May were very smartly done, and earned unstinted applause from the crowd. Taking part in a country dance were D. Boreham, B. King, P. Longhurst, M. Douglas, E. Douglas, G. Bennett, V. Morgan and J. Douglas.

A solo “Fragrance,” by M. Watts; picture gavotte by M. Watts and S. Jolley; solo, D. Boreham; Irish Jig, E. Douglas; dance of the midsummer fairies, M. Douglas, D. Boreham, B. King and M. Watts; solo, M. Douglas; Scotch reel, J. Douglas, chain dance, M. Watts, B. King, D. Boreham and M. Douglas; Welsh dance, D. Boreham and M. Douglas; Welsh dance, R. Palmer; Sailor’s hornpipe, B. King; and characteristic, D. Boreham and M. Douglas; all these efforts delighted the onlookers, and they were well performed by the children, reflecting great credit on their tutors.

Maypole and Morris dancing was also a feature of an interesting programme. The Tooting Wesleyan Central Hall Brass Band, under Mr W.D. Woodcraft, rendered capital music.

In every way, the festival triumphed, and too much praise cannot be bestowed upon the leaders for the amount of labour they must have put into it.

1924 Fracas at the Bucks Head

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“SABINI BOYS” AGAIN.
ROWDY SCENE AT MITCHAM.

Arising out of fracas at The Buck’s Head, Mitcham, on the previous day, Ernest Charles Straney, thirty-four, of Lollard-Street Kennington; Edward Wiggins, twenty-six, of Brixton; and George Wiggins, twenty-five, of Lyndhurst-road, Chadwell Heath, were charged before the Croydon County Bench with having been disorderly and assaulting Major Poole, M.C., licensee of the house, Mr. S. G. Leney, manager, Police-sergeant Constable, and Police-constable Siviour. Blows with fists, kicking, and biting were alleged.

Mr. Stanley Smith, prosecuting, said that six men arrived in a taxi, and appeared be such a rough lot that the licensee asked a constable to stand by. Straney left the saloon bar and went into the dining-room, and began strumming the piano. As soon as he was asked to return to the bar, where the men had ordered drinks and smokes, the row started. Major Poole was injured on his right arm, which would have to be X-rayed.

Major Poole, in his evidence, said one of the men boasted of being a pugilist. Leney was struck violently on the face while carrying a pile of plates.

Police-constable Siviour and two other police witnesses said they drew their truncheons and used them, owing to the violence of the prisoners. Whilst struggling on the ground Siviour said he felt himself being overpowered and struck George Wiggins on the back of the head, which for a time made him unconscious. At the police station, where they were taken in a lorry, George Wiggins threatened to kill the witness, and added, “We are some of the Sabini Boys.”

Police Inspector Perkins, in asking for a remand, said that the men no doubt had come to Mitcham for a purpose, and the matter might turn out to be much more serious than appeared at the moment.

The Bench granted the application, and allowed bail to the prisoners in their own recognisances, with two sureties each of £20.

Source: Illustrated Police News – Thursday 22 May 1924 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

See also Peaky Blinders Fandom wiki web page.