London at the End of the Century:A Book of Gossip
a Beckett, Arthur William
1900
WEDDING DECORATIONS.
A glance at the streets on the occasion of a Royal wedding shows that stars and capital letters in gas-pipe are in high favour with those who wish to illuminate. More elaborate designs in crystal are also received with approbation. The old of our forefathers seem to have lost their popularity, although in the shape of | |
74 | they appear as the survival of the fittest. Nowadays, at times of general rejoicing, there seems to be a general desire for a house-to-house illumination. Perhaps I may be permitted to suggest what I believe to be rather a novel form of decoration. I tried the system with some success during the Jubilee, and provoked a feeling of envy amongst my neighbours. The plan has only one slight drawback-if you are not careful you may burn your house down, and possibly then find that the illumination is not by your policy of insurance. However, given scrupulous attention to details and decent good luck, and you should avoid all danger and expense and create quite a sensation. |
My idea is this. Convert your mansion into a reproduction of those miniature chalk cathedrals that look so well when their windows are and filled in with coloured glass and the whole lighted up with a candle. All you have to do is to get a large quantity of tissue paper. Say you select pink and blue. Having procured your materials, fill up the portico with strips of the paper, and cover over every pane of glass with the same semi-opaque medium. Then put candles in profusion behind the paper, and the thing is done. In special celebration of Her Majesty's Jubilee I tried a transparency, but I cannot conscientiously declare that it was wholly a success. I got a very large box and covered it over with thick | |
75 | brown paper. Then I the words I put a moderator lamp behind the covering. For five minutes it was absolutely charming. But with the sixth minute the thing burst into flames, and for some moments it was a question whether or no we should invoke the assistance of the Fire Brigade of the L.C.C. Fortunately, the conflagration without doing any serious damage, and as everybody was looking at the illuminations, we escaped a visit of the gentlemen in occupation of the salvage vans. This was distinctly a score, as is always an expensive matter. |