XN000022-1980-09-22 — Page 2

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1980

EXPLOSIVE FINALE FOR SUCCESSFUL HONG KONG FESTIVAL

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THE LONDON SKYLINE WAS ABLAZE WITH COLOUR LAST (SUNDAY) NIGHT IN A MASSIVE FIREWORKS DISPLAY IN BATTERSEA PARK MARKING THE END OF A VERY SUCCESSFUL +HONG KONG IN LONDON+ FESTIVAL.

THE CHINESE FESTIVAL ATMOSPHERE WAS ENHANCED BY HUNDREDS OF CHILDREN AS THEY SNAKED THE IR WAY AROUND THE PARK IN A MID-AUTUMN LANTERN PROCESSION LED BY MISS HONG KONG, WANDA TAI, AND THE NEWLY-CROWNED FESTIVAL QUEEN, MISS MABEL LIU.

MORE THAN 750 000 VISITORS THRONGED TO THE PARK FOR THE TWO-DAY FESTIVAL WHICH STARTED ON SATURDAY WITH THE FIRING OF A REPLICA OF THE NOON DAY GUN BY LADY BRAMAL, WIFE OF GENERAL SIR EDWARD BRAMAL, CHIEF OF THE GENERAL STAFF, MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, AND FORMER COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES IN HONG KONG.

TRAFFIC CAME TO A NEAR STANDSTILL AS THOUSANDS OF CARS CONVERGED ON THE PARK ON THE SOUTH-SIDE OF THE RIVER THAMES, YESTERDAY, THERE WAS A TRAFFIC JAM ON THE BATTERSEA BRIDGE FOR MORE THAN HALF AN HOUR, BUT POLICE BROUGHT THE TRAFFIC UNDER CONTROL. AND AT SLOAN SQUARE, WHERE SPECIAL BUSES WERE RUNNING A SHUTTLE SERVICE TO THE PARK, QUEUES WENT BACK HUNDREDS OF METRES.

BUT DESPITE THE VAST CROWD, ALL THE EVENTS WENT ON SMOOTHLY

IN A TYPICALLY FESTIVE HONG KONG ATMOSPHERE.

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE HONG KONG COMMISSIONER IN LONDON, MR DAVID FORD, SUMMED UP THE FESTIVAL WITH: IF THE PUBLIC RESPONSE ON THE FIRST DAY WAS MARVELLOUS, THIS IS INCREDIBLE.

THE FESTIVAL, ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE GREATER LONDON COUNCIL, WAS FULL OF COLOUR AND ACTIVITY.

THERE WERE DRAGON BOAT RACES, +DA PAI DONGS+ (COOKED FOOD STALLS), HONG KONG CRAFT PRODUCT STALLS, ACROBATIC AND MARTIAL ART DISPLAYS, VARIETY SHOWS AND THE KEYING | SAILING UP AND DOWN THE RIVER THAMES.

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHO ATTENDED THE FESTIVAL INCLUDED THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR JOHN GRIFFITHS THE DIRECTOR OF HOUSING, MR BERNARD WILLIAMS= AND THE COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT, MR ALAN ARMSTRONG-WRIGHT.

OTHER GUESTS WERE UNOFFICIAL LEGISLATIVE_COUNCILLOR,

MISS LYDIA DUNN THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HEUNG YEE KUK, MR LAU WONG-FAT- AND MR JOHN SWIRE OF THE SWIRE GROUP.

THERE WAS ALSO THE RECENTLY APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF THE BBC, MR GEORGE HOWARD AND TWO FORMER DIRECTORS OF BROADCASTING IN HONG KONG, MR DONALD KERR AND MR JIMMY HAWTHORNE.

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