Programme listing the order of proceedings and history of the polytechnics. Also contains a typewritten speech addressed to His Royal Highness.
The buildings the Duke of York opened consisted of a remodelled five-storey Borough Road building. The Duke was at the Polytechnic for an hour and whilst there delivered a short address in the Edric Hall before walking through the lecture rooms and laboratories, chatting with students at their work.
Large crowds gathered outside the Polytechnic to greet the Duke on his arrival which were kept back by mounted police. He was received by the Alderman G. T. Greenwood, Mayor of Southwark, Mr D Clifford Houghton, Chairman of the Governors, Mr Hubert A Secretan, Vice Chairman of the Governors, Lady Gooch, Chairwoman of the Governor's Education Committee, Sir Evan Spicer, Chairman of the City Parochial Foundation, Sir John Gilbert, Chairman of the LCC Education Committee and the Polytechnic's Principal, Mr J.W.Bispham. The Duke in his speech made special reference to the Polytechnic's instruction of girls and young women in homecraft and domestic science and to the institution's training of young people to lead upright, unselfish lives. He also commended the Polytechnic for keeping faithfully to its original charter and being an 'educational beacon for one of the poorer parts of London' for 30 years.
