Vivat Regina

[callmemadam]

Last year, some friends and I got together for a Jubilee evening. We had Coronation Chicken and Jubilee champagne and looked at coronation memorabilia. I was surprised to find that people my own age could remember nothing at all about the Coronation. My own memories are little more than a series of images. A wet, grey day and going to the house of my great aunt’s friend because she had a television set. A vague memory of a room full of people and a very small screen. Later, going with the same aunt to the ABC Broad Green (long gone) to see a colour film of the coronation. It was on with a black and white film of Life with the Lyons; Ben and Bebe Daniels were very popular on the wireless at that time. A party held for all the children in our road. It wasn’t in the street but some nearby hall and we were all in fancy dress. There’s a newspaper clipping with a photo of this somewhere, but I can’t lay hands on it just at the moment.

My sister and I had: coronation china; those wonderful little models of the coach and horses; money boxes shaped like crowns; a glitter press-out book to make your own coronation procession. All that is long gone. The coronation cup and Mappin & Webb spoon shown above were my husband’s. The tin I picked up a while ago at the market.



These books have all been found at jumble sales over the years. On top is the official guide. Under that a Pitkin souvenir booklet written by Beverley Nichols. Right at the bottom, the coronation edition of The Queen magazine. That’s full of the most wonderful advertisements.



At school, were given a book by Richard Dimbleby. I don’t think I’d actually started school at the time of the coronation, so they must have been presented to us the following term. What a long time ago it was. Let’s not forget this from Girl comic, long before I read it.

Comments

[gwendraith.livejournal.com]

This is a lovely post and I love your collection :)

I celebrated in the garden last year with all the neighbours and it was a lovely 'do'.

I was only 2 and a bit for the actual coronation and I remember absolutely nothing at all. I should get out my mum's coronation mugs and have a cuppa out of one :)

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Yes! get out the mugs. And a union flag, if you have one :-)

[land-girl.livejournal.com]

Fabulous :-)

I loved seeing this, and your post about The Zombies!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm still on a Zombie high, with their songs in my head.

[dozydormouse.livejournal.com]

Fabulous photos. The only thing my Mum remembers about the Coronation is that they had their first TV set and everyone in the street came in to watch it.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

There's posh :-) We didn't get a TV until 1959.

[gghost.livejournal.com]

What a lovely collection! I often see coronation collectibles here in the US at antiques shows.

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That's quite surprising. All the china is worthless, really, apart from the mug designed by Eric Ravilious. If you see one of those, snap it up!

[trixiebacon.livejournal.com]

Lovely collection, and I'm coveting the tin.

'She's Not There' alternated with 'Born To Be Wild' on the jukebox at the pub we used to go to in the '80s – constantly!

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

Paws off, you have lots of tins :-)

The eighties? Really? They're certainly songs that have stood the test of time.

[(Anonymous)]

I would love your Wendy & Jinx book, but I do have the facsimile book of Mother Tells you How. I loved Girl and also School Friend (with the Silent Three and Jill Crusoe and her friend M'lani, all very non-PC in those days!)
I also have that Coronation issue of Queen magazine, and also book of the Coronation you have here.
I went to see the Coronation on TV (three small TV sets had been set up) in our local town hall. All I can remember was how long it went on for, and how difficult it was to see anything on the grainy screen from several yards away! Oh, and I remember Life with the Lyons!
Margaret P

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

We have a lot in common :-)