DOI issue:
No. 81 (November, 1903)
DOI article:Van der Veer, Lenore: The London Sketch Club and its members
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.26230#0057
71%<? TLtwt/w? 5*^/^ 67?^
difdcult of policeman in full uniform with
helmet, and was stationed at the door to keep the
crowd in Order. When the frohe broke up in the
smail hours of morning, Dudiey Hardy salhed
forth into the Street in his stately rohes, his trailing
garments being supported by Hassall and Aldin,
which so impressed the Bond Street policeman
that he stepped forward to motion back a staring
band of Street loiterers, just as Hardy gave the
show away by walking to the edge of the pavement
and calling out, in his deepest tones, "Four
wheeler!"
It was in the early days of the club that Hardy
conceived the idea of getting .up a parody on
Souza's band ; and he made himself up as a mag-
nideent counterfeit of the great band king, and
'THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
f 073 7^0 Z)To73733' o/ ^7V,
organised a full Company to be known as " Bouza's
Band," the instruments being of the papier mache
variety, with reeds in the mouth pieces, and the
music emitted was weird beyond anything conceiv-
able, but not one whit more so than the costumes
of the musicians. Bouza was resplendent in a
tight-dtting scarlet jacket, simply smothered in huge
tin medals, back and front; Phil May, who played
the double bassoon, wore a shooting-coat and golf
knickers; Tom Browne played the trombone, and
was mildly picturesque as a Dutch boy, wooden
shoes and all; Walter Churcher managed to indict
his share of the torture through a flute, and was
dressed as a German Jew, with a long tangled
beard, and so on through the entire Company mad
fancy was given free scope in the choice of uniform
Throughout the evening
the selections played were
left entirely to the in-
dividual inspiration of the
several players at the
moment of starting, and
the result proved highly
dattering to Bouza's talents
as a leader, for it is re-
corded that he was able to
keep in perfect time and
harmony with every one of
the airs as they poured out
simultaneously on the
atmosphere !
One of the most amus-
ing ceremonies of the
club was given last year at
the conclusion of peace in
South Africa, when Hardy
dressed himself up as the
King, with a very small
and topply crown, and a
sceptre consisting of a soda-
water bottle on the end
of a stick, and presented
medals to various members
whose names were read out
from an old parchment by
Starr Wood. Among the
many and varied deeds
of valour purported to
have been done by the
proud recipients, was the
saving of the guns at
Modder River by Tom
Browne, these same im-
plements of terrible warfare
BY G. RUSHTON
44
difdcult of policeman in full uniform with
helmet, and was stationed at the door to keep the
crowd in Order. When the frohe broke up in the
smail hours of morning, Dudiey Hardy salhed
forth into the Street in his stately rohes, his trailing
garments being supported by Hassall and Aldin,
which so impressed the Bond Street policeman
that he stepped forward to motion back a staring
band of Street loiterers, just as Hardy gave the
show away by walking to the edge of the pavement
and calling out, in his deepest tones, "Four
wheeler!"
It was in the early days of the club that Hardy
conceived the idea of getting .up a parody on
Souza's band ; and he made himself up as a mag-
nideent counterfeit of the great band king, and
'THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM
f 073 7^0 Z)To73733' o/ ^7V,
organised a full Company to be known as " Bouza's
Band," the instruments being of the papier mache
variety, with reeds in the mouth pieces, and the
music emitted was weird beyond anything conceiv-
able, but not one whit more so than the costumes
of the musicians. Bouza was resplendent in a
tight-dtting scarlet jacket, simply smothered in huge
tin medals, back and front; Phil May, who played
the double bassoon, wore a shooting-coat and golf
knickers; Tom Browne played the trombone, and
was mildly picturesque as a Dutch boy, wooden
shoes and all; Walter Churcher managed to indict
his share of the torture through a flute, and was
dressed as a German Jew, with a long tangled
beard, and so on through the entire Company mad
fancy was given free scope in the choice of uniform
Throughout the evening
the selections played were
left entirely to the in-
dividual inspiration of the
several players at the
moment of starting, and
the result proved highly
dattering to Bouza's talents
as a leader, for it is re-
corded that he was able to
keep in perfect time and
harmony with every one of
the airs as they poured out
simultaneously on the
atmosphere !
One of the most amus-
ing ceremonies of the
club was given last year at
the conclusion of peace in
South Africa, when Hardy
dressed himself up as the
King, with a very small
and topply crown, and a
sceptre consisting of a soda-
water bottle on the end
of a stick, and presented
medals to various members
whose names were read out
from an old parchment by
Starr Wood. Among the
many and varied deeds
of valour purported to
have been done by the
proud recipients, was the
saving of the guns at
Modder River by Tom
Browne, these same im-
plements of terrible warfare
BY G. RUSHTON
44