The queen's Platinum Anniversary 👑

[PeteXXX]

I was only 3 when the coronation took place, so like you remember nothing. But I do remember when I was at school a few years later. I must have been 6 or 7. The Queen was expected to drive past the school. We were all made to stand in the playground, looking over the wall. In time, a parade of cars went past, but so quickly, we didn't really see anything.

But, technically, you've seen the queen

👑

 

[Sharky]

But, technically, you've seen the queen

👑

Just googled, this must have been the visit.
https://localhistoryvideos.com/royal-visit-1954-wigan-st-helens-liverpool/

I must have been 4 1/2 at the time, first term in primary. Our school was on the road from St Helens, on the way to Liverpool.

 

[Dogtrousers]

It occurs to me that it must also also be the anniversary of coronation chicken.

 

[oldwheels]

I was only 3 when the coronation took place, so like you remember nothing. But I do remember when I was at school a few years later. I must have been 6 or 7. The Queen was expected to drive past the school. We were all made to stand in the playground, looking over the wall. In time, a parade of cars went past, but so quickly, we didn't really see anything.

I remember being marched at about the same age from primary school down about a mile to the main A8 and given flags to wave when some royalty was patronising us. Only the sooks waved the flags and most of us just dumped them. Like you a few cars flew past and that was it.

 

[PeteXXX]

Just googled, this must have been the visit.
https://localhistoryvideos.com/royal-visit-1954-wigan-st-helens-liverpool/

I must have been 4 1/2 at the time, first term in primary. Our school was on the road from St Helens, on the way to Liverpool.

I've learnt a new word from that article. Regnant.

 

[Petrichorwheels]

I remember being marched at about the same age from primary school down about a mile to the main A8 and given flags to wave when some royalty was patronising us. Only the sooks waved the flags and most of us just dumped them. Like you a few cars flew past and that was it.

sounds like Le Tour or any big bike race.

 

[Time Waster]

Queen and consort opened "the Queen's wing" at our school and gave the school a second royal charter from a Queen Elizabeth. We were lined up through the school in small groups with strict instructions not to say anything inappropriate.

It was good to see the Royal double act working the crowds. They would leapfrog each other to talk to different groups. I think pretty much every group got talked to. We got the Duke. Most wanted the Queen but we reckoned it would be more fun to try and get the duje to say something inappropriate too! I guess he was also under strict instructions that day too because nobody got anything out of him. 😆

 

[Profpointy]

actually he did - one evening sang The Red Flag while Ted Heath played the tune on his piano.

I can quite believe it, even if I'm unsure if you were joking

There's a nice anecdote about a particularly fraught cabinet meeting when Heath was in No 10 so he says they'd take a break for a bit and I'll play some Mozart, which seemingly calmed everyone down a bit. It was also telling that he won some award or other with substantial prize money which he spent on a Steinway. I gather he was good enough to be a concert pianist, if he'd not gone into politics.

And that's quite apart from his sideline as a bandleader

 

[Petrichorwheels]

I can quite believe it, even if I'm unsure if you were joking

There's a nice anecdote about a particularly fraught cabinet meeting when Heath was in No 10 so he says they'd take a break for a bit and I'll play some Mozart, which seemingly calmed everyone down a bit. It was also telling that he won some award or other with substantial prize money which he spent on a Steinway. I gather he was good enough to be a concert pianist, if he'd not gone into politics.

It's true - have read in two sources - one evening Ted Heath invited a bunch of trade union leaders round to his flat in The Albany on Picadilly for a kind of getting to know each other thingie. After Heath had done a bit of ivory tinkling one of the leaders asked him to play The Red Flag and he did while folks sang. Can't off the top of my head remember who the other leaders were but you can probably make a good guess from the period.

One of the places I read it would have been one of dominic sandbrook's books on the 70s where Heath comes across with a whiff of the tragic. (I don't mean this in a nasty way) Different times.

 

[Profpointy]

It's true - have read in two sources - one evening Ted Heath invited a bunch of trade union leaders round to his flat in The Albany on Picadilly for a kind of getting to know each other thingie. After Heath had done a bit of ivory tinkling one of the leaders asked him to play The Red Flag and he did while folks sang. Can't off the top of my head remember who the other leaders were but you can probably make a good guess from the period.

One of the places I read it would have been one of dominic sandbrook's books on the 70s where Heath comes across with a whiff of the tragic. (I don't mean this in a nasty way) Different times.

Those Sandbrook books are pretty good. I've a couple more to go, but I bought the set after reading the first one. David Kynaston has written a similar set of books with a bit more emphasis on social history whilst Sandbrook is more of a general narrative. Maybe I preferred Kynaston but that may just be because I read his set first, so Sandbrook seems like a repetition, but only because of the order I came across them. Both seem fair and even handed in their accounts.

I too think Heath was unlucky rather than bad. It's to his great credit that he sacked Enoch Powell after his "rivers of blood" speech, rather than cashing in on the racist vote, which he could have done had he been more cynical and less moral.

 

[Beebo]

yes - pretty much as I recall - there was a certain statistical AVERAGE as to how many missions you would survive - and as I recall at one point, due to shortages, the american bomber crews flying out of the UK had their "tour of duty" extended to a number of missions beyond that average. Not unaturally a certain gloom descended on them at that point, and maybe a bit of wild living - and why not?

Now and again I have heard the odd person saying that the bomber crews were cowards for dropping explosives from a great height as if they were somehow in a bubble. Only someone ignorant of history and facts could say this.

I think the Americans did daylight bombing to increase accuracy but also increased casualties.
The brits did mainly night raids.

 

[cougie uk]

Neither did I, was it Edd China's Outspan mini, not that he is the only one with one, I think there are 5 other ones, or 5 including his.

View attachment 647854

It was the Outspan one. Didn't look as shiny as that one. I was very excited to see one out and about when I was a kid and I'd completely forgotten about them since.

 

[MontyVeda]

Just seen this on FB... Morecambe really pushed the boat out with their Platinum Jubilee Beacon

Good to see they had a bucket of water on hand... just in case

 

[Dogtrousers]

Just seen this on FB... Morecambe really pushed the boat out with their Platinum Jubilee Beacon

Was that Wise?

 

[Sharky]

Was that Wise?

Did they use a Greek Urn?