General Chat

It’s 3 for me too.

I do remember when the King died. We were in school, the teacher told us and we were sent home. Like you Ann nothing but sombre music on the radio apart from news bulletins.

One of my aunt’s worked in an office overlooking one of the platforms at St. Pancras station and we were taken to the office to watch the kings coffin being taken from the train and I believe put on a gun carriage.

i remember that my parents were sad but there was not the mass public hysteria that we get these days. People were much more private in their grief. I am not saying either is best, maybe a bit halfway.

I know what you mean Ann.

The explosion of flowers seems to have started when Diana died. It is not something I understand. Especially all the flowers at roadsides when someone has died in a crash. Sometimes they are replaced year after year - that is what the cemetry is for.

Von, what an experience for you.

We were in the frozen north by then so, what I remember is what was in the two daily newspapers we used to have delivered but I do recall the feeling, particularly by those who had been in the wartime armed forces, not only in our house but at school, with our teachers, and in the locality.

I feel we have been very lucky to have lived throughout the Queen’s reign as she has, in my opinion, been a shining example of how to behave and has been a real steadying influence throughout her time.

I was at boarding school for the funeral, but the coronation, being at the beginning of June, would probably have been at half-term. We certainly weren't at school. I was helping out at the local hospital and all the patients had their radios on, so I heard bits of it!

I remember watching it all later at the local cinema, which was a much better picture than that on a tiny TV.

3 for me as well.

I remember the talk of the King dying by my parents, but like Ann I don't remember anything happening at school. I do remember the coronation and a party I was taken to by my grandmother. We all had a little union jack to wave and were given a Coronation Mug and a commemorative crown in a plastic case. I still have the crown, but the mug got broken. We had party hats and those coiled blow things and there was a group photo. I think my parents got their tiny black and white TV for the Coronation.

Three for me

2 for me,
hubby 3

3 for me.

The King's death and funeral made no impression on my memory, but I do remember watching the Queen's Coronation on a neighbour's tiny TV.

Like Annx, I still have the crown coin in the plastic case.
We were also given (by the local education authority) a small New Testament with a blue cover stamped in silver with the royal cipher and "Coronation June 1953", and I still have that.
On the flyleaf , under the royal cipher ,it says "To Commemorate the Coronation of Her Gracious Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 2nd June 1953."

I also had a cardboard cut-out kit to put together the gold Coronation coach, along with cardboard cut-out Yeomen of the Guard in their red uniforms, to prop up beside the cardboard coach.

3 if you include Charles 111, but my dad lived under 6, - Queen Victoria, Edward V11, George V, Edward V111, George V1 and Elizabeth 11. :-)