St Neots: Liz Davies takes a look back at the Queen's Coronation

People across Britain had mourned the passing of King George VI in 1952, the monarch who had led them through the terrible years of the Second World War.

Food rationing was still continuing in 1953 and sweets had only come off the ration in February 1953, causing long queues outside sweet shops.

By the summer of 1953, the people of Britain were ready for a celebration and the accession of the glamorous young Queen Elizabeth II was a wonderful opportunity.

A coronation tea party in Cromwell Gardens in St Neots. (Image: ST NEOTS MUSEUM)

The day of the coronation, Tuesday, June 2, was declared a bank holiday and as soon as the event was announced, people living in streets and villages began to come together to raise money and seek out gifts in kind, to provide a memorable celebration to mark the day.

A coronation service for the Queen took place on the Market Square in St Neots. (Image: ST NEOTS MUSEUM)

Events planned included fancy dress and decorated vehicle competitions, sports events, afternoon tea, dancing and singing, fireworks and bonfires. 

On June 1, the coronation honours list was released and locally Rita Sabey of Eaton Ford, received the OBE for political and public services in Huntingdonshire.

On the same day, John Twigden, a St Neots postman and Sidney Cox, the chair of St Neots Urban District Council both received the Coronation Medal and a certificate.

Mr Twigden was due to retire from the Post Office in October 1953 after 47 years, service.

Many places started the day early with a church service and at Kimbolton the day began with a peal of bells from the parish church. In St Neots, a united service was held on the Market Square.

At the Paxton Park Maternity Hospital, three babies were born during the morning and both the girls were named Elizabeth in honour of the Queen.

For millions of people across Britain, and certainly for many locally, one of the highlights of the day was watching the coronation on a television set.

The formal procession started at 10.15am and the coronation service itself ran from 11.20am to 1.50pm.

David Rudd, of Eaton Ford, who was 23, remembers that he bought a cream television costing £40 (including aerial installation) so that the family could watch the coronation.

The Radio Times from June 1953 (Image: ST NEOTS MUSEUM)

He recalls that his mother spent much of the day making sandwiches for the many neighbours who crowded into the house to watch the television.

At Diddington, Noel Thornhill MC presented the Jubilee Village Hall with a television, a ‘handsome set’ and the whole village packed into the hall to watch the coronation service.

At King's Road, in St Neots, Tony Murfin recalls that his family were able to watch the service on the television set of their neighbours, the Brittains, and Tony was struck by how heavy the crown looked on the Queen’s head.

At Wintringham Farm, Elaine Donaldson remembers the arrival of a Pye television set in a small wooden cabinet with doors that opened to reveal a tiny screen.

Then, once the coronation service was over the local celebrations could begin. However, when rain showers swept across much of the country, local people had to turn to ‘plan B’ and move their celebrations indoors to enable them to go ahead.

St Neots Urban District Council gave every child a coronation mug and on the day of the coronation. Other gifts presented to children, included coronation plates, spoons, bags of sweets, tins of chocolate, pens and even a coronation stick of rock given to Buckden children.

This photo was taken in Bedford Street in St Neots in 1953. (Image: ST NEOTS MUSEUM)

Many celebrations featured a fancy dress competitions for children. At the Cromwell Gardens party the children had fizzy lemonade to drink, which photographs reveal had been provided by Paines brewery.

At Eaton Socon, more than 300 children sat down to tea at 4.30pm