DOI Heft:
No.127 (October, 1903)
DOI Artikel:Veer, Lenore van der: The London sketch club and its members
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19880#0061
The London Sketch Club
difficult role of policeman in full uniform with organised a full company to be known as " Bouza's
helmet, and was stationed at the door to keep the Band," the instruments being of the papier mache
crowd in order. When the frolic broke up in the variety, with reeds in the mouth pieces, and the
small hours of morning, Dudley Hardy sallied music emitted was weird beyond anything conceiv-
forth into the street in his stately robes, his trailing able, but not one whit more so than the costumes
garments being supported by Hassall and Aldin, of the musicians. Bouza was resplendent in a
which so impressed the Bond Street policeman tight-fitting scarlet jacket, simply smothered in huge
that he stepped forward to motion back a staring tin medals, back and front; Phil May, who played
band of street loiterers, just as Hardy gave the the double bassoon, wore a shooting-coat and golf
show away by walking to the edge of the pavement knickers ; Tom Browne played the trombone, and
and calling out, in his deepest tones, "Four was mildly picturesque as a Dutch boy, wooden
wheeler ! " shoes and all; Walter Churcher managed to inflict
It was in the early days of the club that Hardy his share of the torture through a flute, and was
conceived the idea of getting up a parody on dressed as a German Jew, with a long tangled
Souza's band ; and he made himself up as a mag- beard, and so on through the entire company mad
nificent counterfeit of the great band king, and 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
flattering 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-
(See article on the Mount Street School of Art, Liverpool) plementS of terrible warfare
44
difficult role of policeman in full uniform with organised a full company to be known as " Bouza's
helmet, and was stationed at the door to keep the Band," the instruments being of the papier mache
crowd in order. When the frolic broke up in the variety, with reeds in the mouth pieces, and the
small hours of morning, Dudley Hardy sallied music emitted was weird beyond anything conceiv-
forth into the street in his stately robes, his trailing able, but not one whit more so than the costumes
garments being supported by Hassall and Aldin, of the musicians. Bouza was resplendent in a
which so impressed the Bond Street policeman tight-fitting scarlet jacket, simply smothered in huge
that he stepped forward to motion back a staring tin medals, back and front; Phil May, who played
band of street loiterers, just as Hardy gave the the double bassoon, wore a shooting-coat and golf
show away by walking to the edge of the pavement knickers ; Tom Browne played the trombone, and
and calling out, in his deepest tones, "Four was mildly picturesque as a Dutch boy, wooden
wheeler ! " shoes and all; Walter Churcher managed to inflict
It was in the early days of the club that Hardy his share of the torture through a flute, and was
conceived the idea of getting up a parody on dressed as a German Jew, with a long tangled
Souza's band ; and he made himself up as a mag- beard, and so on through the entire company mad
nificent counterfeit of the great band king, and 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
flattering 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-
(See article on the Mount Street School of Art, Liverpool) plementS of terrible warfare
44