Saturday, June 02, 2012
Coronation Day
It is quite natural that, at this time, those of us old enough are remembering our Queen's Coronation.
Of course that wasn't 60 years ago.
But this is the year of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. She became Queen 60 years ago on February 6th.
I am old enough to remember the day she became Queen in 1952 - but we had no television to provide the pictures of this time. We had a daily newspaper - The Times in my house - and that had news and some pictures.
The Coronation was 59 years ago - and us older people can remember what we were doing on that day.
I watched the coronation on a television screen in the village scout hut.
I think it was quite a big screen up on the wall; my brother thinks it was quite a small screen. He thought it was boring - but he was only 4. I was impressed. There must have been 30 or 40 people watching together.
Later there were activities for children on the village green - races, I remember.
There was tea for the children - I think it was in the village school.
We were given coronation mugs and a small tin of chocolate. I have the mug still - I don't recall what happened to the tin.
In the evening there were activities for the adults in St. Margaret's Hall.
My parents were part of an entertainment, called Coronation Capers.
Dad is on the left and Mum is the woman on the right.
Having seen a Horrible Histories Prom Concert last summer at The Albert Hall, I realise that their Coronation capers might have been quite similar.
I have no pictures of me on Coronation day.
But there are pictures of a Coronation tree being planted. I think everybody in the village school put a trowel of earth in the hole. Or did we just watch the chosen ones put a spadeful of soil in? I can't remember exactly.
I think that is me standing behind the boy with the spade.
Even after all this time, I can put some names to faces. I presume that is one of the Spence boys in the cap.
I know that is me - just to the left of the new tree, with my brother to the right. Where was my other brother that day?
I have to ponder on that hat, which my brother is wearing.
I am also pondering if the tree is still there.
I must look tomorrow. I think it may have gone, or been moved. There is a children's playground at that spot now.
A short while after the coronation, my family went up to London to see the decorations.
This anniversary of the coronation has been pleasant - though not what we expected.
I read a message from our niece, in the UK from Australia, on facebook - announcing that a pub gathering would take place at 2 o'clock; she omitted to mention which day and I assumed she meant this one.
I contacted one of Bill's sisters - one with a birthday today - and we drove over to the specified pub; and found absolutely nobody that we knew!
But we sat and enjoyed a drink together and then the three of us came back to our house for a cup of tea and to eat up 3 very delicious and special cakes that we had bought this morning.
I am so glad that my mistake led to the birthday girl (62 years old today) having a better day than she expected.
Now it is raining - just as it did 59 years ago on that coronation day.
The press made much of Queen Salote of Tonga waving and beaming wide smiles as she travelled in an open carriage in the rain to Westminster Abbey.
We are all so hoping that the rain will stop - but this may be a vain hope.
There will be street parties up and down the land tomorrow.
One will be in the street where I grew up and from where I enjoyed coronation day.
I will be back there tomorrow.
Of course that wasn't 60 years ago.
But this is the year of Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. She became Queen 60 years ago on February 6th.
I am old enough to remember the day she became Queen in 1952 - but we had no television to provide the pictures of this time. We had a daily newspaper - The Times in my house - and that had news and some pictures.
The Coronation was 59 years ago - and us older people can remember what we were doing on that day.
I watched the coronation on a television screen in the village scout hut.
I think it was quite a big screen up on the wall; my brother thinks it was quite a small screen. He thought it was boring - but he was only 4. I was impressed. There must have been 30 or 40 people watching together.
Later there were activities for children on the village green - races, I remember.
There was tea for the children - I think it was in the village school.
We were given coronation mugs and a small tin of chocolate. I have the mug still - I don't recall what happened to the tin.
In the evening there were activities for the adults in St. Margaret's Hall.
My parents were part of an entertainment, called Coronation Capers.
Dad is on the left and Mum is the woman on the right.
Having seen a Horrible Histories Prom Concert last summer at The Albert Hall, I realise that their Coronation capers might have been quite similar.
I have no pictures of me on Coronation day.
But there are pictures of a Coronation tree being planted. I think everybody in the village school put a trowel of earth in the hole. Or did we just watch the chosen ones put a spadeful of soil in? I can't remember exactly.
I think that is me standing behind the boy with the spade.
Even after all this time, I can put some names to faces. I presume that is one of the Spence boys in the cap.
I know that is me - just to the left of the new tree, with my brother to the right. Where was my other brother that day?
I have to ponder on that hat, which my brother is wearing.
I am also pondering if the tree is still there.
I must look tomorrow. I think it may have gone, or been moved. There is a children's playground at that spot now.
A short while after the coronation, my family went up to London to see the decorations.
This anniversary of the coronation has been pleasant - though not what we expected.
I read a message from our niece, in the UK from Australia, on facebook - announcing that a pub gathering would take place at 2 o'clock; she omitted to mention which day and I assumed she meant this one.
I contacted one of Bill's sisters - one with a birthday today - and we drove over to the specified pub; and found absolutely nobody that we knew!
But we sat and enjoyed a drink together and then the three of us came back to our house for a cup of tea and to eat up 3 very delicious and special cakes that we had bought this morning.
I am so glad that my mistake led to the birthday girl (62 years old today) having a better day than she expected.
Now it is raining - just as it did 59 years ago on that coronation day.
The press made much of Queen Salote of Tonga waving and beaming wide smiles as she travelled in an open carriage in the rain to Westminster Abbey.
We are all so hoping that the rain will stop - but this may be a vain hope.
There will be street parties up and down the land tomorrow.
One will be in the street where I grew up and from where I enjoyed coronation day.
I will be back there tomorrow.
