Coronation 1953

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II June 2^nd 1953

How we celebrated the Coronation in the Village of Hutton le Hole

At the Hutton le Hole Parish Meeting held in October 1952 it was unanimously decided to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth. The Village Hall Committee of Management being representative of all the Village Activities was asked to take the initiative in making the arrangements.

On December 5^th 1952 the Village Hall Committee of Management agreed that the Representative members should form a Coronation Committee with full powers to add to the committee.

The Representative members were:

The following were added to the Committee:

The new committee met on January 12^th 1953 and elected:-

In order to raise funds for the expenses of the festivities the village was divided into four parts – allocated to four collectors – Mrs Featherstone, Mrs Lilian Hall, Mrs Annie Ventress and Mrs Ida Higgins. All the grown up people in the village were to be asked to pay 6d per month for the next five months. It was calculated that these subscriptions should bring in about £20.

The ladies were formed into a Tea Committee with Miss Berry as convener.

The men of the committee undertook to make arrangements for games, sports, the bonfire and the fireworks. Mrs Rita Atkinson, who had produced a very successful play with the children of the village during our Festival of Britain Week, was asked to prepare a children’s play for Coronation Day. It was decided that every child in the village should be given a mug and a medal.

By making an early start the sum of £27-9-0 was collected by the 2^nd June without any special efforts being held – incidentally, this sum exactly met the expenses of the day. An early start was made in the production of the children’s play – The Princess & the Pea – in which a part was found for all the school children. During the following five months the children were busy rehearsing – the collections of the subscriptions of sixpence per month proceeded smoothly; specimens of mugs and medals were produced and voted upon and the Tea Committee made their great plans for the Communal Tea.

When the great day arrived all was in order. A huge bonfire was ready to be set alight on the Village Green near to Central Cottage; flags and bunting decorated some of the houses. The celebrations were started at 9am by the holding of a United Service. Steady rain prevented the holding of the service on the Village Green so we moved into the church which was crowded with members of the different religious communities and others. The service was conducted by the Rev. E Mowforth and the lesson was read by Mr F J Burnley.

As this purports to be a faithful record of the day’s proceedings it must be stated that rain fell during the whole day with scarcely any cessation. The Hutton Beck came out in full flood – games and sports were postponed and the Treasure Hunt, started in the rain, had to be abandoned. But even these disappointments for the children were greatly lessened by the unexpected gift of sweets all round presented by Mr Davison.

At 3.15 the children all gathered in the Village Hall to receive their medals from Mr Crosland and their mugs from Mrs John Strickland, the oldest inhabitant of the village.

The Children who received the gifts were:

Christopher & Jonathan Atkinson, Maureen Arnitt, Peter & Heather Boocock, James Barnett, John & Peter Bowes, Rita Farrow, Janet & Martyn Calver, Graham & Trevor Colledge, Michael Frank, Garett Harrison, Kathleen & Sandra Davison, James Raimes, Antony & Malcolm Emmerson, Alec Simpson, Robin & John Frank, Cyril Smith, Brian & Christine Hall, Peter Smith, Richard & Adrian Hill, Sheila Smith, John & Christopher Lakin, Ann Strickland, Gillian & Caroline Moor, Roy Ventress, Ann Hunt, Jean Wass, John, Caroline, Diana & Martin Ford, Virginia & Loraine Henderson, Richard & Louise Henderson.

At 3.30 the first sitting-down of the Tea began. The Hall and tables were beautifully decorated with flags, ribbons and flowers. The Tea itself surpassed all previous teas in the Village Hall. It began with ham sandwiches and ended for the children with bright red jellies.

After the second Tea had been finished and cleared away the Hall was ready for the children’s Play which was timed to begin, and did begin at 6.30pm. The Play was a dramatisation by Marguerite Steen of one of the best loved of Hans Anderson’s stories, The Princess and the Pea.

The Queen – Janet Calvert

The King – Peter Smith

The Prince – John Ford

‘Real Princess’ – Pamela Inder

The Royal Household:

Three trumpeters -Richard Hill, Adrian Hill, Martyn Calvert

Four pages -Brian Hall, Alec Simpson, Peter Bowes, David Rhead.

Messenger -John Bowes

Valet -John Frank

Gentleman in waiting- Jonathan Atkinson

Ladies in waiting- Caroline Ford, Diana Ford, Christine Moor

Women of the bedchamber -Ann Strickland, Marion Wood, Christine Hall.

All of these actors were scholars of the Hutton le Hole School. A friend, Miss Fisher-Brown, came from West Ayton to make up the actors and the beauty of all the scenes was greatly enhanced by the stage lighting kindly installed by Mr Leslie Davison. The costumes were designed and made by Mrs Burnley.

Later a Social Evening was held and although the rain had scarcely ceased for one minute during the whole day it seemed as though nothing could really affect the general happiness of old and young. Even when some impish gremlins – surely from an alien village – lit the bonfire which it had been decided to postpone until the weather was drier – Mr Davison and others quickly produced enough from the hedges for a new bonfire to be ready for all to enjoy on the following Saturday. Fireworks, including fine batteries of Roman Candles and some rockets were set off by members of the men’s committee assisted by Mr C Moor and Mr Terry Frank.