page_title: King's Hall, Herne Bay
section_title: Public ceremony
hierarchical_section_title: King's Hall, Herne Bay / King Edward VII Memorial Hall / Opening 1913 / Public ceremony
caption_attribution_description: Postcard photograph of the King's Hall, Herne Bay, Kent, England, by Fred C Palmer. The card is unused and undated. The King's hall was built in 1904 and named the Pavilion or Bandstand until 1913 when its name was changed to King's Hall and it was rebuilt and extended underground. The quality of this card and the clothes worn by the pedestrians suggest a date around 1920, and Fred C. Palmer left Herne Bay by 1920, so the photo was probably taken in 1920 or just before. The title "The Downs from Sunnymede" suggests that the postcard was manufactured for use by a bed and breakfast hotel.
context_page_description: The King's Hall is a theatre, concert hall and dance hall at Herne Bay, Kent, England. It was built as The Pavilion in 1903–1904, developed as the King Edward VII Memorial Hall in 1913 in memory of the late king, and was being called The King's Hall by 1912 while still at planning stage. Both building phases were designed by the local Council surveyor F.W.J. Palmer, CE. The year 2013 was the centenary of the completion of the second and final phase of this building and its grand opening by Princess Beatrice on 10 July 1913.
context_section_description: By the time the Princess arrived at the Hall, the roadside crowds had gathered at the site, where the Fusiliers were playing in the bandstand, the 6th Dragoon guard of honour was marshalled at the south-east corner, and all the local schoolchildren were lined up on the north side, including New College cadets, Herne Bay College cadets from St George's Terrace, the Scouts and Guides, and the Council scholars in red, white and blue caps and waving flags. On the east and west sides of the building were beflagged grandstands full of members of the public, and there was a dais for the Princess and VIPs on the north side. As the Princess arrived, the National Anthem was played yet again, then the children sang it unaccompanied (following much rehearsal). On display were uniformed Scouts and Guides, members of the National Reserve, Army and Navy veterans wearing their medals and "Friendly Society men in their distinctive regalia" There were speeches by various dignitaries. The enrobed Clerk of the Council read and presented a crested and illuminated address, inscribed on vellum and scrolled on an ivory roller, to the Princess. The address was presented in a ferro-concrete casket to match the fabric of the Hall's 1913 build:
  The casket was rectangular in form, embellished with wrought, silver framing, surmounted by chiselled silver ornaments. On the front of the casket, in a panel of wrought silver, appeared the arms of Her Royal Highness; while on the reverse side were the arms of the Herne Bay Urban District Council. The whole was surmounted by a silver crown.  On the front of the sloping lid was a silver plate inscribed, Presented by the town of Herne Bay, July 10th, AD 1913.  The interior was lined with silver-grey velvet. Anon, Herne Bay Press 12 July 1913
   The Bishop of Dover, attended by the vicars of Herne Bay and Herne, "all in full canonicals," led prayers.
caption: Kings Hall, 1920s
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