The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-07-16 00:00:00

GRAND FETE AND PICNIC OF ODD
FELLOWS.

conOnneeMtioonndazitlisal ttahegraonrdde kr'eteofandodßderetltalo,wisn,
MU., took place at the Meath Park by the kind
permission of Mrs. Cochrane). The members
of the different lodges assembled at the Cricket
Ground, when they formed themselves into a
procession, and proceeded through the town ac-
companied by the following bands : Field's
Dudley Military Band, the Brierley Hill Band,
the Sfourbridge Fife and Drum Band, and the
Careless Green Saxhorn Baud. The procession
presented a very gay appearance, as many of the
members carried banners, flags, and the differ-
ent emblems and insignia of their lodges. The
names of the lodges were as follows : Tile Lord
Hill, Duke William, and Morning Star, Seven
Stars, Stourbridge ; Duke of Sussex, Turk's
Head, Audnam ; Travellers Rest, Somerset,
House, Beauty Bank; Victoria, Bell Inn.
Market-street, Brierley Hill: Pride of the Val-
ley, Mitre. High-street; Good Intent, Old Pipe,
High-street: Widows' Hope, White Horse.
Brettell Lane ; Prince of Wales, Lord Dudley's
Arms, Lye Waste; Miners' Pride, Heart-in-
Hand, Stamber Mill: True Britons, Starober
Mill: Lord Lyttelton, Hagley All's Well.
I Wordsley ; Lily of the Valley, Delph ; Stephen
Glyn, Wall Heath ; The Shenstone, Halesowen.
not in body.
On arriving at the ground the festivities of
the day commenced, and were carried out accord-
jug to a very attractive progranune with great
, spirit. The music was of a very high class.
The programme of the Dtulley Military Band
was as follows :—Overture Zama, Christine
Valse, Grand Duchess Quadrille, Zerlina Polka.
Rage in London Quadrille, Torquato TOMO,
Cornet solo, Life's a Bumper (glee), Quadrille.
Hail smiling morn. The Brierley 11111 Band
I performed also at intervals, under the direction
of their Bandmaster E. Bowater, and the Drum
and Fife and Sax-horn Bands also added to the
musical entertainment.

The great attraction in the music was Field's
Military Band, which played their various pieces
with great precision and effect. At the conclu-
sion of each piece they were loudly applauded.
The Brierley Hill Baud also came in fur a good
share of applause ; as did also the other two
bands.
The artistes whose services the Committee of
Management secured gave great satisfaction.
Mr. Richard Hales, a great favourite, from the
Canterbury Hall London, gave several songs,
eliciting great applause for his " Forty years
ago," "Silly Sam," " The Artful Dodger," and
" Costernionger Joe." A talented feuiale artiste,
Miss J. Richards, from the Alhambra, also con-
tributed much to the enjoyment of the day by
her rendering of several very popular song:,
among which we may mention especially " Take
me to the ball,'' Medley," "My Bonnie Sailor
Boy," and "The Grand Parade." The acro-
batic performance of the Paulo Family was rap-
turously applauded, the feats of the younger of
the two little boys demanding special mention,
from the ease and grace which they displayed.
The wonderful intelligence and cleverness exhi-
bited by Mr. H. Paulo's troupe of performing
dogs delighted every one
The performance of Madame Caroline, on the
rope over the water, which was to be the event
of the evening, unfortunately presented features
not down in the programme. That lady went
through her appointed task of walking across
the rope with the aid of a balance-pole, but did
not seem to he quite at home with the heavy
responsibility of carrying two flags over; Allll,
owing to some unexplained cause, the rope oscil-
lated to such an extent that Madame Caroline
lost her equilibrium. and WAS precipitated into
what we should say VV,IS an uncomfortable bath.
She was, however, nothing daunted by her unex-
pected dip, and made an offer through a mem-
ner of the tuanageinent to repeat the perfon
mance not the falling, however. The British
public, always considerat (?) did not press for a
renewal, and the lady made the amend, l.norable
by dancing a jig and hornpipe on the stage, with
universal drat.

A regatta for silver cups followed The race
for the first prize, boats not exceeeding 20 feet
in length, in-rigged gigs, Clinker built, with
coxswain, three competed, viz. : " Octoroon,
-
a Humphrieson and J. Coldrick, coxswain, W.
Fanner, colours blue and white: " Victoria,- S.
Smith and J. Higgs, coxswain, C. Smith, colours
violet and white; " °dine,- W. Hughes and O.
Humpherson, coxswain C. Culdraiu, colours
scarlet and white. This race was well contes-
ted, and resulted in the victory of the Victoria,
the Octoroon and °dine fouling. The second
race was contested by the Octoroon and Odine,
the latter coming off conqueror. The sculling
race resulted in favour of J. Hughes ; A. Hum-
pnerson, second. A coracle race followed, and
gave every satisfaction ; John Dark, S. Smith,
and John Tolley being the competitors, Tolley
carrying off the prize after a sharp struggle with
Dark, Smith, a bad third.

During the day several persons met with a
cold bath in the pool, but no one appeared to be
the worse for it.

The fete was a complete success, upwards of
ten thousand persons being present, and a good
round sum will be added to the fend.

We must not close our report without saying
a word of praise to the Committee of Manage-
ment. W. Edwards, Esq., who had the manage.
inent worked indefatigably the whole day : as
did Mr. Jukes, the Hon. Sec., Messrs. Pack-
wood, Woolley, Johnson, &c., and to these gen-
tlemen, ins great measure is due the success of
the fete.