A rum old time for the RAF at the Coronation
LIKE Howard (Letters), I was also on the Coronation parade. I was in the RAF route-lining contingent in Haymarket. Our squadron was allocated six tickets for the grandstand in the Mall.
We drew lots and I won the privilege to buy a ticket for ten shillings, which I sent to my mother. However, when the commorative Coronation medals were dished out, there were only about half a dozen allocated to our squadron. No drawing lots this time — the NCOs had them.
After standing in the rain at the kerb side for about ten hours, I was told there was a mug of rum for each airman; I missed out as I went to meet my mother at Marble Arch. I still wonder if the lads were teasing. Did they really have their mugs of rum? JONATHAN BRYANT,
Worthing, W. Sussex.
ON CORONATION Day my father was on duty outside Westminster Abbey. He was the school bandmaster at the Royal Military School of Music, Kneller Hall, Richmond upn Thames.
The Kneller Hall fanfare trumpeters were sounding fanfares inside the Abbey and also outside. The director of music was with the trumpeters inside the Abbey and my father was outside when fanfares were played to herald the arrival of each member of the Royal Family and visiting Royals.
With the menfolk on duty the wives and children collected in Kneller Hall were seated in the brown armchairs watching the Coronation on a tiny Bush TV.
A great day for us all (I was only ten years old) and a real privilege to have the military connection.
MARGARET NICHOLLS, Hadleigh, Suffolk.