Coronation Celebrations

Well! What a day it has been. Smithers and I feel elated and exhausted at the same time. 

We were both in awe of the skill and precision of the huge procession to Westminster Abbey, and incredibly moved by the glorious coronation service. It truly was a service all about service for, as King Charles affirmed, “In the name of the King of Kings, and after his example, I come not to be served but to serve.”

I was just five years old at the time of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation (and Smithers would have his fifth birthday three months later). My parents, like many others, bought their first television set in 1953 in order to watch it. It was a 9” black and white screen housed in a large Bakelite surround, if I remember rightly, and the much-respected Richard Dimbleby was the commentator for the occasion.

In those days my parents owned a toy and sports shop, and I can remember them selling miniature gold coronation coaches by Lesney (of “Matchbox Toys” fame). Vintage versions are now selling for hundreds of pounds on eBay. We also had a card game called “Crown the Queen” which I used to play with my brother, where you had to lay out a series of cards in the order of the coronation procession, finishing with the Queen.

Once the celebrations had finished, and Smithers and I were at last able to breathe a sigh of relief that nothing untoward marred the occasion, we went for a stroll around our estate. Many lodge owners had strung bunting or flags outside their properties, and the public areas were also decorated. The aptly named Britannia Inn at Maple Tree Corner just outside the estate was also adorned, so I have included that in the collage I have created to commemorate this wonderful day.