St Matthews Day Parade

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dsmg
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by dsmg »

I seem to remember in the late 70s that the whole school went up one year. Anyone with a better memory than me recall why? I have a feeling we were all given a coin by the Lord Mayor - the largesse) Some wag left a train door open on the way home and it was taken off by a train going in the other direction. There was a big fuss but I don't recall if anybody got ´busted`. Perhaps that's why they've taken so long to take the whole school up again.
Play up Pompey!
Fjgrogan
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by Fjgrogan »

Perhaps it is also why they now go by coach - or maybe it is just cheaper than getting British Rail (or whoever it is now) to provide a special train - which would logistically be easier!
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

'A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.'
kerrensimmonds
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by kerrensimmonds »

I was there and it was good to see so many friendly faces. I had a door-to-door driver who then went for coffee in a favourite cafe, only to find it occupied by the CH coach drivers! So he had the lowdown on what went wrong. But although access to the cathedral was easy and offered in a very friendly way to this person on a mobility scooter (and I wasn't the only one!) my friend and I missed close contact with the Band and the march past afterwards because we followed too many headless chickens, going in different directions after the end of the service and the departure of the last pupils from the cathedral. ! hope there will be at least one photo in the papers tomorrow. Even if there is no such photo I had a great day and am proud to have been a minuscule part of the cathedral celebrations.
Kerren Simmonds
5's and 2's Hertford, 1957-1966
Fjgrogan
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by Fjgrogan »

Kerren - so glad you had a good day (I did wonder how you would negotiate all those steps at the front of the cathedral, but I think by law there has to be access elsewhere). I have been watching the regional news, but no mention - too full of people murdering each other! I wonder which newspaper(s) it might be in tomorrow. I wonder if something called The City Recorder still exists? I have some copies of it amongst my family history archives, because my father was at one time chauffeur to the Chief Commoner, who made the City news during the Suez Crisis when he swapped his Bentley for a bubble car - still chauffeur-driven!
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

'A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.'
CHDad
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by CHDad »

I managed to get in at the back (without a ticket) as there were some spare seats. The hairs on the back of my neck have only just returned to normal - a wonderful day which I shall never forget !
kerrensimmonds
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by kerrensimmonds »

I was surprised that there were lots of spare seats.... so am glad that at least someone benefited from and enjoyed them.....
Kerren Simmonds
5's and 2's Hertford, 1957-1966
SAS
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by SAS »

Cannot believe that there were spare seats - wish my relatives had tried that. Anyay, they saw it all, even managed a hug and a chat with DD, took video etc. Were the choir good? Slightly biased as DD was in it - hope to be there in another year.
keibat
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by keibat »

Warning: I see I have written (as I too often tend to do, my friends tell me) rather a longwinded account ...

Having retired from my university job in Finland, and moved back to the UK for the coming 12 months, AND chuffed at the prospect of seeing the whole school march through the City, I brought my elderly mother with me to cheer the St Matthew's Day Parade 2012. I was enormously grateful to have followed some of the discussion on the Unofficial Forum about the logistics – and the baffling lack of public information – as it saved me from making false assumptions that the school would (as in my day) come to London Bridge by train and march first to the City church in question, then to the Lord Mayor's lunch, then back to Ldn Bridge – I have amused memories of a city gent, frustrated by the apparently endless column of blue coats blocking the street, scooting through the middle of the band and being bopped on the bowler by one of the twirling drummers! – So it was very helpful to know that the march would only be from St Paul's to the Guildhall.

Anyway, we guessed that the route must surely go down Cheapside. I asked a traffic warden there (apologies: a Civil Enforcement Officer) if he could confirm the route. "No, but let me check with my boss... Do we have any information about the route for the St Matthew's Parade?" "Negative." "OK, try ringing this number: .." So I rang Traffic Control or whatever it was, and as soon as I said I was asking about the St Matthew's Day Parade I was abruptly cut off!

Eventually, we decided to play safe and made our way to the Guildhall, reassured that this must be right by the Lord Mayor's limousine swooshing past [registration LM 0 :) ]. At last, signs of something happening: crush barriers, stewards in hi-viz vests, etc. But even they could not confirm what route the march might be taking; all they knew was that it would end there in the courtyard of the Guildhall.

And there, finally, we did indeed see the band marching in, playing superbly, excellent marching discipline, and the Lord Mayor – or actually some Alderman standing-in? – raise his tricornered hat  – and then the houses marching in, one after another; and the mayoral official who came over and congratulated the lead drum major; and felt that our goal had been achieved.
http://s1251.photobucket.com/albums/hh558/keibat/

One mild disappointment: the drum majors didn't toss their maces in the courtyard – arms tired by this point? or (wicked interpretation) is mace-tossing banned under Health & Safety regulations, or as a security risk?

Because the one really sour note that I was left with was: Why on earth have the police become so paranoid about security that the route for a school parade, less than half a mile, had to be kept totally hush-hush, with information not even issued to the officials who normally (so he said) DO know about impending traffic disruptions? Surely a parade should be a parade, it should be a public spectacle, with people stopping to watch and applaud! I heard that even school staff were only given details about the logistics within the City one day beforehand. It seems to me utterly bizarre.

I hope to get some video clips posted later (PhotoBucket didn't like my files).
ailurophile
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by ailurophile »

CHDad, I’m really glad to hear that some parents without tickets were allowed into the Cathedral; like other posters here I was disappointed to see that several rows of seats immediately in front of the parents’ area in the nave were left empty during the service, when I know that many more would have welcomed the opportunity to attend.

DH and I very much enjoyed both the service and parade yesterday, and had two very lucky breaks. First, we arrived at St. Paul’s underground station at about 9.40am and thought about wandering down to the Millennium Bridge; but en route we decided instead to grab a quick coffee and were therefore lucky enough to be sitting in an almost deserted Paternoster Square and got to enjoy an unrivalled view when CH unexpectedly marched through just before 10.

After the service our plan was to walk to Cheapside and wait for the parade so that we could get some good photos; but outside the Cathedral we got delayed chatting with friends and eventually ended up setting off alongside the march… another stroke of luck, as in the event the route went nowhere near Cheapside, and we’d have missed it altogether!! (The only downside was that I didn’t manage to take many decent photos - most of ours seem to feature the backs of heads!!).

Can I just say thank you and well done to all the staff and pupils who rehearsed long and hard for St. Matthew’s Day; it makes your heart swell with pride to be even a tiny part of the proud CH tradition.
Michael Shindler
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by Michael Shindler »

Keibat;

My deepest apologies! Unfortunately, we were limited in terms of time and space in the Guildhall Yard, and so it was not possible to perform a 'toss' at that particular point. Hopefully you were able to see us perform the move earlier on in the parade. In terms of posing a health and safety risk-watch this space! There was a 'minor' incident a few weeks ago when a drummer was hit by a mace, requiring stitches, but I can assure you he was fine afterwards, well enough in fact to still play on St Matthew's Day itself. On a final note, it was rather bizarre that the route was kept so secretive; I was leading the parade, and not even I knew where we were going! I hope this helps.

Regards,

Michael Shindler
Head Drum Major (2012-2013)
Katharine
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by Katharine »

Were there any photos in today's papers?
Katharine Dobson (Hills) 6.14, 1959 - 1965
kerrensimmonds
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by kerrensimmonds »

I didn't see any....
Kerren Simmonds
5's and 2's Hertford, 1957-1966
keibat
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by keibat »

The video clips I took in the Guildhall square – nothing to boast about, on a handheld iPhone – are now up on Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/album/2085734
Please let me know if there are any problems with accessing them
Keith
keibat
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by keibat »

Dear Michael –
Well, I had certainly not expected a response from the Lead Drum Major in person!
Thanks for your comment:
Michael Shindler wrote:Keibat;

My deepest apologies! Unfortunately, we were limited in terms of time and space in the Guildhall Yard, and so it was not possible to perform a 'toss' at that particular point. Hopefully you were able to see us perform the move earlier on in the parade. In terms of posing a health and safety risk-watch this space! There was a 'minor' incident a few weeks ago when a drummer was hit by a mace, requiring stitches, but I can assure you he was fine afterwards, well enough in fact to still play on St Matthew's Day itself. On a final note, it was rather bizarre that the route was kept so secretive; I was leading the parade, and not even I knew where we were going! I hope this helps.

Regards,

Michael Shindler
Head Drum Major (2012-2013)
Sadly, no: we did not see any maces tossed earlier, as we did not know the
route – see the whole discussion on this thread in the Forum about trying
to find out or guess what route it would be. The most plausible guess was
Cheapside (which would have been splendid), and I am now very glad that we
abandoned that guess and played safe by going to the Guildhall, as we would
have completely missed everything had we stayed where we were originally
waiting.

Your comment that you yourself did not know your route until the last
minute only further demonstrates the utterly bizarre fog of secrecy imposed
(one gathers) by the police.

Anyway, I was very impressed by the professional manner of the Band and the
quality of the playing. Well done – a day to remember.
Keith
Fjgrogan
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Re: St Matthews Day Parade

Post by Fjgrogan »

Keith - it is good to find you on this forum. I hope you are enjoying your time in England. Tell me, did the band march into Guildhall Yard playing Sussex-by-the-Sea? Years ago I went a few times to the St Matthew's Day service and followed the parade - I always found it amusing that they should sign off with their signature tune on a day when they were essentially celebrating their connection with the City of London.

My best wishes to Ruth.
Frances Grogan (Haley) 6's 1956 - 62

'A clean house is a sign of a broken computer.'
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