The College mascots: The perils of Reggie
Christening ReggieReggie was the victim of repeated kidnapping attempts by University College and other London colleges following the Second World War.
On one occasion he was transported to Inverness and on another was ignominiously dumped at the Surrey beauty spot of the Devil's Punchbowl.
The most notable episode involved his painful emasculation by University College students armed with a tin opener. Thankfully, he was restored to full working order by a team of engineers and medics and vainly filled with concrete to prevent further kidnap attempts by the Bloomsbury students.
Toy ReggieOn a tender note, the Duke and Duchess of York were presented with a cuddly toy Reggie that they gave to their daughter, Elizabeth, following a visit to King's as part of its centenary celebrations in 1929.
By all accounts the future Elizabeth II and the miniature lion became inseparable.
World War Two, when King's was relocated to Bristol and separated from Reggie, spawned two smaller cubs, twins named Reggie Minor.
In 1940 King's College Engineer, David Leete, foiled a kidnap attempt on the mascot, launched by Bristol University students. A special medal was struck to commemorate the event, a photograph of which is shown here.
Reggie even underwent a marriage ceremony in the early 1980s although his bride fled the altar. Old Reggie disappeared for a while during the early 1990s, and a substantial replacement was cast. Miraculously, however, the was rediscovered in the King's underground shooting range. Following restoration, the proud octogenarian mascot now sits guarding the Students' Union.
Image collectionClick any image to see a larger version with slideshow:
In this exhibition
- Origins and mascots
- Origins of the Colleges' Contrasting Histories
- Student Rags: why and when did they become popular?
- The College mascots: Phineas and Reggie
- The College mascots: The perils of Reggie
- Charity
- The heyday of the rag
- Later rags