The great event of the year 1879 was the holding in Bradford of the
20th annual show of the Kcevil and District Society- The show was held
in a different town or village each year. It was under the patronage
of the Long family of Rood Ashton.Bradford townsfolk spared no effort
to give visitors a splendid welcome ami some of the results of the work
put in by the "Decorative Committee" may be seen in these
three pictures.The Trowbridge Advertiser devoted 1 1/2 columns of small
print to a minutely detailed description of the decorations.
At the railway station "lofty masts from which lines of laurel
extended were erected at points on the platform" and the word "Welcome"
was prominently displayed. Most of the work was done by Fitzhenry Benjamin,
E. C. Bridle, W. Sumbler and J. Bryant .
The Committee had erected five arches: No. I at the top of St. Margaret's
Street; Nos. 2 and 3 at each end of the Bridge; on the Bridge Venetian
masts were creeled; No. 4 across the street near Whitehead's Lane; No.
5 opposite the Town Hall, with grouped flags and the Prince's plumes
outlined in gas jets. The Swan Hotel had a white swan on a crimson lake
outlined by a belt of foliage.