Mock Durbar?

[rmarsden]

What is going on here? men blacked up in Indian costums, decorated bicyles, fake King and Queen on a dais. Can anyone identify any of the uniforms?
Ron.

[Toby Purcell]

Originally Posted by rmarsden

What is going on here? men blacked up in Indian costums, decorated bicyles, fake King and Queen on a dais. Can anyone identify any of the uniforms?
Ron.

Most likely it is Empire Day (24 May), which was a big (National and Empire/Commonwealth) Summer 'event' until after WW2.

At such times parades would be organised and much was made of all the Dominions and Dependencies that made up the Empire. Often individuals would dress up in costume to represent some of them, as appears to be the case here with what seems to have been a bicycle procession.

[BWEF]

I think they used to ape whatever had been the big news items of the year.

I have seen a postcard of a 1930s parade in my home town that included a large model of RMS Queen Mary, the ship that had just been launched. I would imagine this was a common theme as we were nowhere near the sea.