Royal Celebrations in the Three Towns

[down south]

The Coronation is a bit before my time too, considering I wasn't born yet; but I've often heard the story of the Coronation television party my parents held .

Since ours was the first and only television in the houses nearby ( specially acquired for this very occasion ! ) , most of the neighbours in the little enclave at our end of the street came.The nearest Ardrossan Road got to a street party...but, being Ardrossan Road, a rather staider affair apparently . Not least because, since his daughter helpfully shepherded my six-year-old sister to school, they felt obliged to invite the family of the minister from the Free Church manse; and he alas turned out a distinctly dour guest, whose presence put something of a damper on any tendency to jollity.

Also there were the Gibsons and Mrs Wood, from either side; the registrar's family the Brysons, possibly even the Perrys too I think, who lived at " Stanleybank " before the Seaburys; and most of them had a couple of youngsters in tow . My mother produced a fine array of refreshments, which were laid out in the back room , and there also the Bryson baby slept most of the day peacefully away ; being remarkably good, I'm told, given the lively lad he grew into...

Everyone else was crowded into our ( fortunately quite large ) front room, round a TV which was no bigger than a modern portable; though this , believe it or not , was a great advance in screen size compared to previous models. So whatever view they got of proceedings couldn't have been exactly marvellous. Here's a picture of that very set, from a TV museum collection:

http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/C ... =1987-5041

And quite where they all found room to sit is another thing to wonder, unless some of them brought their own chairs . I do know that our neighbour Mrs Wood, who had a houseful of old things , helped out here by bringing as a permanent gift an old, rather attractive carved wooden child-sized chair that had seen better days . Perfect for my sister Anne, and in due course it was handed down and I had the pleasure of sitting in it too.

Susan

[little plum]

Stevenstons recognition of the Jubilee.

Preparations for the coronation.

[down south]

I'll return to some of the royal celebrations from the earlier part of the 20th century in due course, but while we're looking at the 1953 coronation here's the Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald's version, in an article written in 1974, of the events of that day; with due thanks to them once more. Not sure if their list of street parties is entirely complete; I would be surprised if there weren't some in Stevenston , and this one at McKIllop /Dykes Place on Saltcoats also isn't mentioned :

http://www.threetowners.com/images/McKi ... ts1953.jpg

Interesting in passing to notice that Jack Boyd, like RV Brown, also used to have his photographic studio in Manse Street.

I see we also have this picture on 3T of another of the Ardrossan parties:

http://www.threetowners.com/images/Coronation_1953.JPG

Susan


WHEN TELEVISION TOOK OVER

The first week in June 1953 was one of those when it was all happening.

On the Monday, the 1st of the month, this newspaper attained its hundredth birthday — an event celebrated, its staff liked to think, by a meeting that evening of Stevenston Town Council; the announcement at dawn on the Tuesday that Edmund Hillary and Tensing Bhutia had climbed to the top of Mount Everest; the coronation that day in London of Queen Elizabeth; the production of a historical pageant in Ardrossan; and to round off the week, the "Queen of the Sea" gala at Saltcoats.

By the Saturday evening our staff of reporters — both of them — were glad to sit down and get their boots off.

Celebration of Coronation Day locally differed from previous national events in several respects — there was an absence of processions, children's sports and speeeches, and the streets were deserted. All this was due to one cause— television.TV had come to Scotland for the first time just over a year before. The first transmission seen locally was the funeral of King George VI, in 1952, and a year later still only a few people had TV sets in their homes. Despite the price of a set, which was to many people prohibitive, there was a tremendous rush to order them in time for the coronation.

Those who had sets, invited all their friends and neighbours who hadn't, to visit them for the day and join in viewing, and there were therefore hundreds of TV parties in private houses.

The town councils, in association with the new Old People's Welfare Committees, largely confined themselves to organising TV viewing facilities in local halls for the old people, and Castlecraigs, Ardrossan, the Beach Pavilion, Saltcoats, and Ardeer Hall, Stevenston, were packed to capacity with senior citizens watching the telecast.

In the afternoon, when the main ceremony in London was over, street parties were held for children — in Ardrossan at Winton Street, Rowanside Terrace, Millglen and Rashley schemes; and in Saltcoats at Manse Street, Wellpark Road and Auchenharvie Road. These parties were arranged by the residents in the areas themselves and consisted mostly of tea in the open air, games, and gifts for the children.

Ardrossan, however, rose to the occasion with a unique and notable event — a single performance of a pageant "Cavalcade of History" staged in Winton Park.

There were ten episodes and over 200 performers, portraying the ancient Scots, Wallace and Bruce, Mary, Queen of Scots, the Union of the Crowns, the '45 Rebellion,the world wars, and so on, and it was watched by over 3000 spectators in the park itself and hundreds more on Castlehill. The background was a castle wall with towers and battlements, the work of the Burgh Surveyor's Department.

On the evening of coronation day there were large bonfires on the Castlehill, Ardrossan, and on the Braes, Saltcoats, both the result of hard work by the respective Scout troops.

All that was 21 years ago —the last time on which over communities were called upon to participate in an occasion of national interest; so free buns and milk, huge bonfires and pageantry have by-passed two generations of children since then.

No doubt though, either at the Silver Jubilee in 1977 — or when Scotland gains independence perhaps, the locality will again rise to the occasion — and maybe somebody will come up again with some fresh ideas.

[ellenyoung31]

Yes the photo is McKillop place in Saltcoats.
I remember it .
The Prefabs had one sorry no photos. Ellen.

[mike mccann]

On 2nd June 1953 I was five months into my National Service and was stationed at the East Yorkshire Regiment barracks in Beverley in Yorkshire . We were given the day off and watched the whole ceremony in the Mess .
1953 was also notable for three other events which grabbed the headlines in that year and which I remember well. .. Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing became the first men to climb Mount Everest ( five days before the Coronation } , Gordon Richards the famous jockey won his first Derby at the age of 49 and Stanley Matthews at the age of 38 won at last an FA Cup-winner's medal when Blackpool beat Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in the final.
Last but not least ( not headline grabbing ) I reached my 21st birthday in 1953.
What a year !!!!

[down south]

Among those who took part in the 1953 historical pageant were Ardrossan Academy pupils, and here are some pictures of one of the scenes they presented, featuring Mary Queen of Scots :

http://www.iandalgleish.co.uk/AAwebsite ... age26.html

http://www.iandalgleish.co.uk/AAwebsite ... age28.html

http://www.iandalgleish.co.uk/AAwebsite ... age27.html

Despite the comments in the Herald article about there having been " no processions ", according to the official Academy history there was indeed one through the streets to the performance at Winton Park, and it's clear from the pictures that the group is on a float, setting off from the school ; in the second one the door of the main building is the backdrop, and I've realised that in the third what you can see behind them, looking in the opposite direction, are the old blue wooden hut, and the primary bike sheds .

The Academy book also lists some of the participants:Queen Mary was played by Margaret Randall, her Four Marys by Jean Hannah, Betty Wallace, Maureen Wylie and Mairad Davidson, and William Nugent was Rizzio. No information on the fellow in the " beard " at right who was surely representing John Knox.

And in the other scene presented by the Academy, the Eglinton tournament, those participating included Jane Wilson as the Queen of Beauty ( no shortage of Queens that day ! ); also Muriel Wilkins, Elaine Johnston, George Patrick,William Bannatyne, Lillian Hynd, Kenneth Crawford, Ronald Scott, John Seggie, John Durnie, Sandra Leslie, Ann McEwen, Michael Stratton, Richard Hamilton, Tom Strong, and Margaret Craig.

One interesting thought by the way; I've heard the story that the weather for the Coronation procession down in London was dreadful for June, with pouring rain ; I understand the " traditionally-built " Queen of Tonga won great popularity by choosing to ride in an open carriage and be seen, in spite of getting soaked. But from the looks of things in the pictures here, and of the street parties, for a wonder the Three Towns seem to have got away with reasonably dry weather. Was that the case ?

Susan

[down south]

Seems about time to return now to this topic and proceed with adding the rest of the A&S Herald articles from the early 1970s about coronations and other royal occasions of earlier in the twentieth century.; once again, with full acknowledgements to that newspaper.

Beginning with the Coronation of King Edward VII in 1902. This one nearly didn't happen at all; the king was taken seriously ill just before the date...I believe he actually had to have an emergency operation for appendicitis ?...and everything had to be postponed until he recovered.

And perhaps that need to abandon previous plans accounts in part for the somewhat half-hearted air of proceedings locally when the event finally took place. But Arran certainly didn't stint on an enthusistic welcome when the King paid a visit there soon afterwards.

Susan



THE KING WAS CROWNED ‑ AND CAME TO ARRAN

More than any other monarch in history perhaps, Queen Victoria had become the symbol, due to her unprecedentedly long reign, of a nation whose prosperity, solidity and adventurous discoveries seemed set for eternity, and which had hardly been ruffled by such irritations as the Crimean War and the Tolpuddle Martyrs.

Three years after the Diamond Jubilee the new century began, inaugurated for Britain by the Boer War, and the death of the Queen in 1901. She was succeeded by her eldest son who became Edward VII, but the joy bells on his accession had a kind of hollow ring; and when his coronation had to be postponed due to the king's serious illness, it is still possible, reading the fading pages of the Ard­rossan and Saltcoats Herald of that time, to catch the echo of an ominous foreboding.The new century and the new reign were not proving as bright and exciting as everyone felt they should be.

Called upon to make preparations for celebrating the coronation, nobody in the small towns and villages quite knew how to set about it: they had no precedents — the previous coronation had taken place 65 years before and nobody remembered it.

However, decorations, processions, sports and bonfires had been success­ful enough for the Jubilee, so similar events were set in train for coronation day, Thursday, June 26, 1902. On the evening of Tuesday the 24th the king collapsed with perityphlitis and the coronation was postponed until August 9. Instead of thanksgiving services in the churches on what should have been coronation day, there were prayer meetings for his majesty's recovery.

The schoolchildren were chagrined: they were to have had a holiday from school, instead of which the celebrations took place while they were on holiday anyway.

The coronation took place on a Saturday and it was celebrated in Saltcoats by flags and bunting on public buildings and houses and by the inevitable pro­cession headed by the Volunteers. Those in the procession were the provost and councillors in carriages, the burgh dust cart and watering cart, the fire-hose, the Boys' Brigade, a milk cart and two pierrots in a go-cart. There were children's sports at the public park — and that was all.

If Saltcoats' celebrations seemed somewhat spine­less, at least they eclipsed those of Ardrossan, which town chose to ignore the whole affair — so far as official participation went. Private houses there were decorated with flags, and one resident, Mr Porter, who lived at Elsing House in South Crescent, pro­vided a firework display at his own expense on South Beach Green. Apart from that there was nothing at all.

King Edward himself, fatigued after his operation and the strain of the coronation, set off the following week for a cruise on the royal yacht, the "Victoria and Albert," and went, with considerable wisdom, to the Island of Arran, which celebrated the event in its own fashion.

When the royal yacht entered the Firth of Clyde the first vessel to greet her was the Ardrossan - Portrush steamer "Azalea," which went five miles out of her way to approach the "V and A" and a banner, "Welcome to Scotland " , was displayed by two lady passengers from Ardros­san. The king lifted his cap in acknowledgment.
The royal yacht anchored in Brodick Bay and the king and Queen Alexandra went ashore and visited the castle where they had tea, then drove through the village. They were cheered by literally thousands of people, since steamer excursions had been hastily arranged from Ardrossan.

On the following day the king and queen drove in a wagonette from the castle jetty across the String Road to Dougarie where the king took part in a shooting expedition. He fired three times at a stag and is believed to have wounded it.

There had not been time for the villagers of Arran to decorate their buildings — the visit was more or less unexpected — and on the evidence of the king's reported remarks there was no need for them to do so.
Both he and the queen were frequently overheard to comment on the "breathtaking" scenery of the island and the respect­ful friendliness of the inhabitants. Arran had risen to the occasion simply by being itself.

[belle]

I remember the street party in Whitecraig Road for the Coronation and watched TV in someone's house there too. Got the chocolates in the tin box, used as a pencil case for years but lost now although I still have the mug. Funny the things you hang on to!!

Elizabeth
Townsville

[morag]

We had a pic of my sis waving a flag, Grimsby or Cleethorpes, a mug and a 'golden coach''. One of my sis's probably have them now.

[down south]

Back in time once more and moving on a few more years , we come to the coronation of King George V in 1911. The weather most certainly did cast a damper over the celebrations here; but it cleared up enough for a much more ambitious programme of events than the last time, to go ahead. Including a schools match so marred by disputes that it had to be abandoned .... football hooliganism is obviously nothing new !

PS You can now read all about the Saltcoats roller-skating rink mentioned in the article here:

viewtopic.php?p=97822#p97822

Susan

THE CORONATION OF KING GEORGE V

By 1911 the twentieth century was settling down —the ten years reign of King Edward, in the light of what was to follow are now regarded in hindsight as something of a halcyon period.

There was no obvious reason why the coronation of King George V should not be celebrated locally with all sorts of fun and games, and accordingly extensive preparations were made for the usual sports, processions and bonfires on coronation day, Thursday June 22, 1911.

It will surprise nobody, however, to learn that in Ayrshire at least coronation morning dawned with a howling gale and lashing rain. Many houses and shops had been decorated in the previous day or two with flags and bunting, and these now hung limp, sodden and twisted.

In both Ardrossan and Saltcoats it had been arranged that there should be morning processions to special services in the parish churches, and these were duly carried out, the Burgh Bands leading groups of soaking and dispirited councillors, Boys' Brigade and Boy Scouts through rain-swept streets.

By midday the organisers decided that there was no point in continuing with the children's sports scheduled for the afternoon and in Saltcoats the bellman was sent round the town to tell the children to assemble instead at the roller-skating rink (now the garage in Glencairn Street).

At 2 o'clock the rink was packed with hundreds of children who were given a bag of party sweets, chocolate and milk, and when they had all sat down and begun to eat, the rain suddenly stopped, the sun blazed forth and the children were hastily mustered and marched to the public park where it was decided to go on with the sports.

Among the sports there was an inter-schools five-a-side football competition and our report states: "In the final between the Academy and Saltcoats School, additional time had to be played. Some misunderstanding occurred in the replay, and as difficulty was experienced in deciding which team won, it was agreed to play the game again. During the lapse of time in coming to this wise decision, a number of spectators behaved in a very discreditable manner, and had it not been for the pacific methods adopted by the committee, something in the nature of a general disturbance might have taken place. The match will be replayed at some future date." — Whether it ever was is not now clear.

In the evening, a "Citizens' Dinner" was held in the Eglinton Hotel, Ardrossan —attended by 50 prominent gentlemen of the town and at which 15 speeches were made; and in Saltcoats a, "musical fete" was held at Melbourne Park, provided by Messrs Fyfe's entertainers.

A large flag was flying at the entrance to the park, and a local ships' captain pointed out to the organisers that. what they had hoisted was the "Yellow Jack" — meaning that the ship was in Quarantine.

Ardrossan was not to be outdone in ending the day with music — "A large concourse of people in Princes Street was entertained by a gramophone concert given by A. Guthrie & Sons. The rendering of the National Anthem by Madame Clara Butt was loudly cheered."

[calleytwo]

Inreresting to read that they managed to get the services of that extraordinary contralto Dame Clara Butt to sing. She had a powerful voice and it was jokingly said that she could have sung on the White Cliffs of Dover and been heard in France. I have several of her original 12 inch 78 records from 1911 including Sullivan's strange The Lost Chord and her most famous rendition opf Elgar's Land of Hope and Glory and they sound quite good on my 1913 Rexophone horn gramophone. Her voice was well suited to the crude recording techniques of the time, singing into a horn and recording mechanically. You can hear her sing on Youtube on these links -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grs8B0dCMpM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxMVEwqnQEE
But like most accoustical recordings it actually sounds better on the horn grammo tthan the filtered and cleaned up version you will hear. Wee Ali

[BobP]

I take it that the people of Scotland have moved on from these last remnants of colomialism- Bit like Jamaica saying thank you maam for making us slaves - Unfortunately the Bolsheviks never killed enough of them nuff said