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<< 1868 & 1875 Industrial Exhibitions page

Leighton Buzzard Observer & Linslade Gazette
Tuesday, 1st June 1875

Brief background

Article published in the local newspaper. The article covers events at the exhibition over the past week. Note: any text enclosed in square bracket are comments by the transcriber relating to possible typos or errors in the original text.

The Article


THE EXHIBITION

The Working Men's Exhibition continues to be a great source of attraction. During the past week strangers have daily been seen wending their way from the railway station, and from the direction of all the surrounding towns and villages, through our chief thoroughfares to the Corn Exchange. The number of visitors who have been admitted during the week is 5,581. Many of these have been young people and children from schools, but, considering that it is the third week of the existence of the Exhibition, the number of patrons generally has come up quite as well as might have been expected. On the evening of each day the season ticket holders have swelled the assemblies, and there has been plenty of amusement, instruction, and recreation for the visitors during the past six evenings. On Monday a pianoforte recital was given by Mr. T. J. Price, M.C.O.; a similar entertainment was given on Tuesday by Mrs. Hamilton, at the conclusion of which Professor Proskauer once more introduced his sleight-of-hand performances, in the presence of a large and highly amused audience. On Wednesday the principal additional feature was a lecture by E. A. Davidson, Esq., on "Ornamental Art: its History and Application," illustrated by sketchings in coloured chalk and drawings on the blackboard. The Norman, Saxon, and Gothic styles of architecture were chiefly dealt with, and the ornamentation of windows, &c., in the different styles of building. On Thursday the Misses Wagstaff played, in brilliant style, a good selection of music on the pianoforte, to the great gratification of a goodly company. A lecture on "The Koran" was delivered on Friday evening, by W. R. Cooper, Esq., London, and Mr. Price played some capital pianoforte music. On Saturday evening some vocal and instrumental music was given by the Leighton Instrumental Society, in their usual talented style. Prior to the appearance of the Band, however, a young gentleman named James, of London, son of Mr. James, corn dealer, of Linslade, immensely distinguished himself as a vocalist. So delighted were the audience with his songs that his presence could not be dispensed with until he had been thrice tried. His last song, "The Village Blacksmith," was most artistically and pathetically sung, and loudly applauded.

The numbers of visitors who have patronised the Exhibition on each day during the past week are as follow:-

  BY SEASON
TICKET.
  BY
PAYMENT.
  TOTAL.
Monday ............ 474 ... 390 ... 864
Tuesday ........... 459 ... 974 ... 1433
Wednesday ...... 380 ... 618 ... 998
Thursday .......... 450 ... 495 ... 945
Friday ............... 244 ... 351 ... 595
Saturday .......... 415 ... 331 ... 746
  2422   3159   5581

The above figures include the children of the Soulbury Schools; the Pulford Schools, Leighton; St. Andrew's Girls' School, Leighton; the members of the Woburn Harmonic Society; children of the Eggingtom Sunday School; boys of the British School, Leighton; girls of the British School, Leighton; scholars of the Friends' School, Sibford, Banbury; about 100 servants on the Mentmore and Crafton Estates; children of the Lake Street Baptist Sunday Schools, Leighton; the Wing Wesleyan Sunday School, the Toddington National Schools, and Linslade Board Schools, also the men employed by Mr. Wilkerson on the Coprolite Works in the neighbourhood, &c. On Tuesday a large number of visitors went to Mentmore and on Friday the Mansion was invaded by no less than about 500 persons, including a second batch of sixty members of the Working Men's Institute, conducted by Mr. W. Abraham, secretary to the Institute. The prize certificates are to be distributed on Wednesday (to-morrow), Colonel Gilpin, M.P., presiding over the ceremony, and after that day arrangements have been made for admitting the public at a lower rate of payment. To-morrow (Wednesday), Friday, the 4th, and Wednesday, the 9th, will be the only three remaining shilling days. On all other days the charge for admission will be sixpence only, thus bringing a visit to the Exhibition within the means of all classes. On Wednesday, June 9th, the Exhibition will be finally closed. To those who have not yet made a tour through the Corn Exchange buildings we would advise a speedy inspection, as there will doubtless be a great rush upon the place when its varied, valuable, mechanical, artistic, and wonderful contents are offered to the public view at a lower rate of entrance fee.


 
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