WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1986
HUGE CROWDS WATCH FIREWORKS DISPLAY
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THE HONG KONG SKY WAS LIT UP IN COLOUR TONIGHT AS A FIREWORKS DISPLAY WAS STAGED OVER VICTORIA HARBOUR TO MARK THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH,
HER MAJESTY AND HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS WATCHED THE DISPLAY FROM THE DECK OF HMY BRITANNIA, ALONG WITH ABOUT 40 GUESTS WHO HAD BEEN INVITED FOR DINNER ON BOARD THE ROYAL YACHT.
HUGE CROWDS CRAMMED BOTH SIDES OF THE HARBOUR TO WITNESS THE 25-MINUTE DISPLAY ORGANISED BY MR SANDY OGAWA OF THE JAPAN FIREWORKS ARTISTS ASSOCIATION.
HELPED BY A TEAM OF 19 TECHNICIANS WHO HAD FLOWN IN FROM JAPAN ON MONDAY TO SET UP THE DISPLAY, MR OGAWA FIRED 6 800 PYROTECHNIC PIECES FROM THREE BARGES MOORED IN THE HARBOUR.
HE ORCHESTRATED THE WHOLE PERFORMANCE FROM AN OPERATIONS ROOM SET UP ON TOP OF THE SUN HUNG KAI CENTRE IN WAN CHAI.
THE $1.6 MILLION SPECTACULAR USED FIREWORKS IMPORTED FROM JAPAN, CHINA, BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES.
AFTER THE FIREWORKS AND THE FORMAL DINNER ON BOARD THE BRITANNIA, THE QUEEN AND THE DUKE HELD A RECEPTION ON THE ROYAL YACHT FOR SOME 200 GUESTS. HER MAJESTY WORE AN EVENING DRESS OF WHITE SILK GEORGETTE EMBROIDERED WITH GOLD, PEARLS AND CRYSTAL.
LATER IN THE EVENING THE ROYAL VISITORS AND THEIR GUESTS WATCHED THE BAND OF THE ROYAL MARINES BEAT RETREAT ON THE BULL'S NOSE AT HMS TAMAR.
BEATING RETREAT IS A PECULIARLY BRITISH MILITARY CEREMONY DATING BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES. ACCORDING TO SOME VERSIONS, IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO WARN THAT CITY GATES WERE ABOUT TO BE CLOSED AT SUNSET AND THAT CITIZENS SHOULD BE INSIDE THE CITY WALLS FOR THE NIGHT.
ANOTHER VERSION SAYS THE CEREMONY DATES FROM THE TIME WHEN ARMIES WOULD DISENGAGE FROM FIGHTING AT SUNSET AND MUTUALLY RETREAT TO ENABLE THEM TO ATTEND TO THEIR DEAD AND WOUNDED.
WHATEVER THE ORIGINS, THE CEREMONY, PERFORMED IN THE DARK, WITH PRECISION MARCHING WITHOUT WORDS OF COMMAND AND THE BUGLE CALLS OF RETREAT AND LAST POST MINGLING WITH HYMNS PLAYED BY THE BAND, IS IMPRESSIVE AND MOVING.