THE KING AS ENGINE DRIVER.
VISIT TO SWINDON.
THE QUEEN’S INTEREST.
The unique spectacle of the King driving a railway engine, with the Queen by his side, was witnessed at the close of their Majesties’ first visit to Swindon yesterday. After a tour of the town and an inspection of the Great Western Railway Company’s extensive works, which cover 300 acres and employ nearly 20,000 men and women, the King and Queen mounted to the footplate of the engine of the Royal train, which his Majesty personally started and drove from the Weighbridge House at the works to the railway station, a distance of upwards of three-quarters of a mile. This remarkable event was witnessed by a large number of the company’s workpeople, who gave loud expression to their appreciation of this further example of his Majesty’s kinship with his subjects in every class. The King and Queen travelled on the Royal train, drawn by the engine Windsor Castle, from Windsor to Swindon, where they arrived punctually at ten minutes past two. Accompanying their Majesties on the train were Viscount Churchill (chairman of the Great Western Railway Company), Sir Felix Pole (general manager of the line), Mr. A. G. Bolter (secretary), Colonel Clive Wigram (his Majesty’s assistant private secretary), and Major Reginald Seymour (equerry in waiting), and the Countess of Minto (lady in waiting to the Queen). Their Majesties were received on the platform by Viscount Long (Lord-lieutenant of the county) and Viscountess Long, and the Lord-lieutenant presented the Mayor and Mayoress of Swindon (Alderman and Mrs. T. C. Newman), the Town Clerk (Mr. R. Hilton), Mr. R. Mitchell Banks, K.C., M.P. for the borough, and Mr. C. B. Collett (chief mechanical engineer of the Great Western Railway). As the Royal party emerged into the station square a huge cheer went up from the thousands of massed townspeople, and 2,000 children’s voices united in a tuneful rendering of “God Save the King.” The vociferous welcome was renewed as the King and Queen entered their motor car, followed by Lord Long. In other cars besides those already mentioned were Sir Ernest Palmer and Mr. R. H. Nicholls. Such an extraordinary circumstance as a Royal visit had naturally aroused widespread excitement in the county, and consequently the normal population of the town had been doubled by the influx of visitors. Along the gaily decorated route to the Town Hall, with its abundance of welcoming messages, the pavements were thronged by a cheering populace, not the least enthusiastic portion of which was the 9,000 school children who had left their studies to take part in the making of history.
AT THE SWINDON CENOTAPH.
The local Cenotaph was the first stopping-place. Here their Majesties were received by General Calley, president of the British Legion branch, and the King placed a wreath on the memorial, after which he stood for a space silent and bareheaded in respect for the fallen heroes commemorated
there. Then his Majesty turned to a company of ex-service men in the vicinity, and addressed a few words to one of their number who proudly wore the ribbon of the Victoria Cross.
At the Town Hall, which was almost concealed by flags and decorative bunting, the Royal visitors were received by the Mayor, resplendent in his robe and chain of office, and his nine-year-old daughter, Sybil, handed a bouquet of orchids to the Queen. Alderman Newman then presented eight ex-mayors of the borough, who are still members of the Town Council. After signing the visitors’ book the King and Queen proceeded to the Victoria Hospital, built in the Jubilee Year, 1887, at a cost of £16,000, where they were met by Major J Goddard, president of the Board of Governors, who presented the Matron (Miss Tucker), the vice-president and secretary, and members of the medical staff. Having inspected the hospital enlargement recently completed, on which the board were congratulated, their Majesties went to the Great Western Railway Medical Fund Surgery, and thence to the Swindon Works, passing on the way the Railway Accident Hospital and the Mechanics’ Institution, where their attention was called to 200 retired servants of the company lined up outside the building. All the way to the works, which were entered from Sheppard Street, the procession passed through dense cheering crowds. At this point however, the holiday atmosphere gave place to scenes of industry in various forms, which in the space of an hour and a half provided their Majesties with a moving picture illustrating many phases of the erection of the giant locomotive, from the casting mould to the finished article, and the building of a modern, luxurious coach from the parent tree.
HAPPY INSPIRATION.
In the foundry occurred an unexpected little touch, which greatly pleased both the King and the Queen. On a large sand mould had been prepared a welcoming design, and when their Majesties reached this spot white liquid iron was poured into the decorative pattern, thus literally forming in words of fire, “Welcome to the King and Queen.” Her Majesty voiced their pleasure in this happy inspiration to the workmen, thanking them for their courtesy and congratulating them on their novel idea, “so splendidly carried out”. Their Majesties were much interested in many of the engineering marvels displayed before them. They also displayed great interest in the more decorative labour of the workers in the carriage-building departments, frequently stopping to make an inquiry. There they saw the trunk of a great elm tree being swiftly sawn into boards, and were able to follow by stages the process of coach erection right up to the most modern type of the finished article, a beautifully upholstered restaurant car, done in a pleasing brown, and with shaded electric lamps on every table. Herein their Majesties sat and expressed appreciation of the comfortable travelling provided by the company. Throughout the tour of these extensive works thousands of employees showed the greatest interest in the Royal party, and in most of the shops work was carried on almost “as usual,” as his Majesty had requested. In the programme the laundry was to have been visited, but this item was subsequently deleted. Not to be entirely deprived of the unaccustomed sight of the King and Queen in their midst, however, the laundresses had gathered at the doorway of their department, and as their Majesties passed they raised a resounding cheer.