Saturday 2 June 2012

God Save the Queen

I know we are celebrating this weekend the Queen's succession to the throne and that the coronation took place a year later, but I just couldn't wait to show you this photograph.  Here I am 59 years ago, which explains the state of the photo,  just about to enter the village hall,  known then as the reading room, actually the old school and now a private house.  There was a tea to celebrate the Queen's coronation in my North Yorkshire village and I assume all the children were in fancy dress.  I was the Queen of Hearts I believe, it says Happy and Glorious on the brim of my bonnet,  my brother standing beside me was a Royal Trumpeter and my dear Gran is on the left.  I don't recall much about the day, I was 4.5 years old my brother 2.5, but I do remember my lovely dress, made by my Gran as was my brother's outfit.  I also remember that my brother absolutely refused to blow his royal bugle, my Gran was probably trying to persuade him to have a go while the photograph was taken.  I can remember having a good blast on the trumpet myself and my brother probably played a right royal fanfare after the event.  
There is no village tea here in Scotland for the diamond jubilee but a beacon will be lit on the highest hill, Black Mount, at 10 pm on Monday.  
If I'm still blogging next year I can show you my 1953 Coronation mug, every child in the village got one and in 1977 I returned to stay on the farm with my parents for the silver jubilee weekend.  Mr FF and I decorated the road through the village with home made bunting, cutting up old fertiliser bags into triangles and stapling them to agricultural twine, we must have made miles which we fastened to telegraph poles.  At the village tea all the children received a mug and as a surprise and thanks for the decoration I got one too, I still have both my mugs on display. 
To mark the occasion I've fished out my Emma Bridgewater patriotic shopper. enjoy your royal weekend.

5 comments:

  1. You are a year younger than I and I was in Wales, where I don't recall any rain on the day. I don't think we were in fancy dress; I have no idea where my original mug went.

    Enjoy the weekend.

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  2. Ha ha! What a lovely post, full of early memories. You looked lovely, by the way. We spent Friday celebrating in school. I taught a thirty kings, queens, princes and princesses ;-) Ros

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  3. We must be about the same age as I was five when she was crowned. I remember dancing around a maypole on the village green where we lived but I don't remember much more than that.

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  4. Wasn't born for the Coronation but I do remember the Silver Jubilee although we didn't go to the party I remember the mug and the commemorative coin. Love your little outfit, your Gran must have been very talented, perhaps you inherited her genes.

    Hugs
    Brenda

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  5. I love your outfit. I can remember the Silver jubilee. We all waved our flags as the Queen and Prince Philip drove by in their car. I have a very faded Coronation mug that belonged to my Mum or Dad I think. Must see if I can find it!

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