Yarmouth Notes, 1830-1872. Collated from the File of the Norwich MercuryPalmer, Frederick Danby
History
Yarmouth Notes, 1830-1872. Collated from the File of the Norwich Mercury
Palmer, Frederick Danby
Great Yarmouth (England) -- History
On Friday afternoon, at three o’clock, the sports were re-commenced,
the weather being most propitious and the sun shining with surpassing
brilliancy. Yarmouth poured out thousands upon thousands of its
working population, and great numbers of all classes were present to
witness the fun and partake of the amusement of the day. The
performances, if so they may be called, took place on a stage
immediately opposite the stand, which was filled with spectators,
under the superintendence and direction of a gentleman, to whose good
humoured exertions too much praise cannot be given, and who was ably
assisted by others in providing and bringing out such entertainments
for the humbler classes as seemed best adapted to their taste and
habits. First came two chimney sweeps in _full costume_; they dived
in a tub of meal for pieces of money, which they picked out with
their mouths. Numberless sneezings and many collisions of sooty
heads, now, however, converted into floury nobs, took place during
this match, to the great merriment of the assembled crowds; at length
the money was all abstracted, and the performers, well washed, made
their bows and retired from the stage. Next came bobbing for oranges
in tubs of water, by boys with their hands tied behind them. Then a
singing match by boys, which was won by an urchin of the name of John
Hutchin, who sung two comic songs with inimitable humour and effect.
A horn pipe match followed, in which the best dancers made up by
agility for what was wanting in grace and elegance. Grinning through
horse collars succeeded, and here one Billy Derry out-uglied the
ugliest—O! for grinning through a horse collar, commend me to Billy
Derry. Then we had six old women, drinking scalding hot tea for a
prize of one sovereign; the efforts of these poor old creatures to
gulp down the almost boiling fluid, were at once both pitiable and
ludicrous, but they appeared to enjoy the parts they were acting
almost as much as the spectators did, who gave way to the most
uproarious laughter we ever remember to have heard, they were all
well rewarded for their exhibition. There were also donkey races,
climbing soaped poles, gingling matches, running wheelbarrows
blindfold, a rowing match, and races after pigs with their tails
soaped, and twenty-four barrels of ale were given away to the
populace on the ground. At half-past ten at night the Market Place
was literally crammed with people to witness the display of
fireworks, which was splendid and worthy of the occasion, and
concluded the Coronation amusements. Immediately after the fireworks
had ceased the crowd dispersed, and by twelve o’clock the streets
were as quiet as upon ordinary occasions.
July 14th.—The Corporation had voted an address to the Queen, of which
the following is the notice:—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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