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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review, October 1919

The Capping Procession

The Capping Procession.

The procession is one of the most important parts of all well-regulated cappings. This year we were under the grat disadvantage of having very few men with previous experience of such a procession, as none has been held between the beginning of the war and this year. The organisers laboured under the usual difficulties of revivers, in having plenty of enthusiastic, but few experienced, helpers. Nevertheless, the procession was a great success, and, with the wisdom gained through it, we should be able to make that of next year the sort of spectacle one dreams about after a heavy supper.

The starting point was St. Peter's Schoolroom, from which a move was made at noon. Motor and horse lorries were kindly lent by the G.P.O., Messrs. Curtis and Co., The Colonial Carrying Co., and Munt, Cotterell, Ltd. The procession was preceded and flanked by a cloud of skirmishers—the expression is a hackneyed one, but is used by all good war correspondents, and must therefore be put in—both mounted, as Indians, highwaymen, and cowboys, and dismounted, mainly ballet girls and other varieties of the gentler sex. The procession proper was led by the band, discoursing music which was, at times, distinctly good, and which varied from that to rotten. Its motor lorry was, part of the time, dragged along by Charlie Chaplin by the crook of his stick, but, at other times, managed to proceed under its own power. His Ex. the Gov., Sir James Allen, and Mr. Harry Holland, M.P., chatted amicably in the first carnage. The O.B.E. distributing agency was well patronised, and the writer has heard of a case in which a man, who could not get one in the usual distributions, obtained one from the agency. Fact! The city milk supply was well portrayed, and the departure of the interned Germans by the "Willochra" provided the topic of another waxworks. The crocodile was not worth the great amount of trouble expended on the making of it. While these main items must always provide the backbone of the procession, most of the fun is enjoyed and given by the miscellaneous horde of hangers-on of all descriptions, wild animals, ladies of all degrees of respectability, niggers, our mutual friend Charles Chaplin, et hoc genus omne.

On reaching Post Office Square, the large gathering was addressed by the Governor, while certain irresponsible members of the pocession delivered rival speeches, and a game of football was started. A deluge of rain scattered both mummers and audience. The next couple of hours saw individuals and small groups amusing themselves in various ways, some disorganising "Kirk's" tea-rooms, others amusing the populace in the streets, others again celebrating in the time-honoured way.

On the whole it was a great success, and there should be no doubt that the next, one will be a much greater success. It is not too early even now for anyone who has a brilliant idea, to store it away in some pigeonhole of the brain for use next year.