|
Click GO for Menu
|
|
With thanks to
Sue Pidford, Terry Moore |
||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
For most people, mention of "The Coronation" brings back memories of 1953. However, we can actulaly start our story sixteen years earlier than that and pick up a direct Whitstable connection... thanks to old family mentoes kindly scanned by Sue Pidford in New Zealand.....
Before any of our younger readers scurry off to find their encyclopedias, let me add a few dates. The coronation of George VI took place on the 12 May 1937 following the abdication Edward VIII in December 1936. George and Edward were the sons of George V who died on 20 January 1936. George VI and Queen Elizabeth were the parents of our present queen and the "Elizabeth" mentioned on the coin is therefore better known by younger generations as the late "Queen Mother". I have seen commemorative coins for George VI before.... BUT I have never seen a wholly Whitstable version until now. So, locally, it might be worth a bit more than you think, Sue.... even with the hole! It's nice to see the symbol of the old Whitstable Urban District Council being used on the back of the coin - ie the sailing ship.
Now let's move on to 1953.... and a photo kindly to us by Terry Moore. It features a street party to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II but where was it taken?.
I suspect that only those who took part will know.... and Terry knows because he took part....
That places it on the green square at the southern edge of Sydney Road with the open ground in the background providing a steep descent to the Gorrell stream.
Not all coronation parties took place out doors as Bill Dancer recalls below....
Royal celebration are like Chinese meals. You have one... and, a quarter of a century later, you fancy another. Thus, we move to 1977 and Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee. Once again, children were at the heart of the festivities.
Local schools joined forces for a procession to St. Alphege Church in the High Street. The shot above was kindly provided by Ian Johnson and it features the Endowed School making ready at their old Oxford Street pre-fab site. This enabled the girls to join forces with youngsters from the neighbouring Whitstable Boys County Primary and St. Alphege Infants and to make their way into the town centre via the Boys school gate...
Ian's photos were taken by his mum and many people will remember that, at the time, she was school secretary at the Endowed Girls School. Whilst the background of old photos may not have seemed too remarkable 30 years ago, it certainly brings back some memories today. As the procession turned right into Oxford Street, we get a quick glimpse of a very familiar building. The shot below was kindly provided by Ann Nash....
Yes, below that Pepsi sign, lies the old Lantern Cafe... with its locally famous ditty.... "There's always a bite when The Lantern's alight". A recent message from Derek Drury outlined the route taken by the procession and brought back memories of some of the singing....
Following Derek's description, we can place more of Mrs. Johnson's photos... with the girls journeying along the High Street to Harbour Street....
... and the Boys returning to the school.
 Photo kindly supplied by Ian Johnson
Look closely and you will spot Mr Siminson's opticians shop on the left. Of course, some schools went beyond the call of duty and into some impressive fancy address as Ann Nash's photo shows on the left below.....
Of course, it wasn't just a case of processions. Street parties were as popular in '77 as they had been during the coronation of 1953. The one captured in Ann's photo on the right took place in All Saints Close.
The Silver Jubilee left a legacy of memories. It also left one or two more tangible keepsakes ....
This mural was painted by pupils of St Vincents School back in 1977 and, to date, it has remained a permanent feature of Harbour Street despite the occasional and unwarranted attentions of vandals. The photo was taken in August 2004.
As long as the Queen reigns, Whitstable will be keen to celebrate.... and, so, in 2002, the bunting was dusted off for another festival. This time it was the Royal Golden Jubilee. The preceding 25 years hadn't dampened the enthusiasm for street parties and a number of roadways were temporarily sealed off. The photo below was taken in Clare Road....
More formal celebrations took place on Tankerton Slopes with Trevor and Penny Thomas's Whitstable Festival and Events organisation masterminding a summer fete....
... and a beacon lighting ceremony...
The Whitstable beacon was part of a national chain. It was lit in response to the Herne Bay beacon and it relayed the signal to the Isle of Sheppey and the coast of Essex. The chain ended in London and initiated a spectacular firework display in The Mall.
If anyone can add to our photo collection, please let us know! |
||||||||||
Coronation .... 1937
