Rain could not dampen coronation of Queen
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was highly anticipated and by the time the day came the press had certainly done the occasion justice. The Scotsman printed plans showing the route the royal procession would take, sketches of what Her Majesty’s coronation gown might look like, timings for proceedings in London, details of festivities in Scotland and, of course, plenty of pictures.
WEDNESDAY 3 JUNE, 1953 Unforgettable Reception by Her Subjects SPLENDOUR OF PAGEANTRY UNDIMMED BY RAIN-LADEN SKIES
Scenes of tremendous splendour yesterday marked the Coronation of the Queen. Rain, at times heavy and continuous, failed to dim the brilliance of the pageantry or damp the spirits of those lining the procession route.
They watched Her Majesty borne along on a sea of cheers to her crowning in Westminster Abbey. After that solemn act and when the religious ceremony was over, the return to the Palace began in pouring rain, but as she “went forth to her people and her service,” the rain stopped.
If the reception on the way to the Abbey had been memorable, that accorded the Royal pair on their homeward route was unforgettable.
Forty minutes after the triumphal return, the Queen, wearing the Imperial State Crown, stepped on to the balcony at Buckingham Palace with the Duke of Edinburgh and other members of the Royal Family.
They and the thousands below watched the fly-past of R.A.F. ‘planes. Later the Queen and the Duke made a further brief appearance by themselves in response to the tumultuous waves of cheers.
Prince Charles saw the crowning and also all the other acts of investing his mother with the insignia of Royalty. Brought to the Abbey during the service, he sat between the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
Scotland’s Day of Rejoicing BONFIRES FROM SHETLAND TO THE BORDERS
Scotland marked the Coronation in full measure with a day of national rejoicing, and there was scarcely a hamlet but had its own special programme for the entertainment of its people, special attention being paid to the young and the old.
On Wednesday, 3 June, 1953, the day after the ceremony, The Scotsman published a special six-page Coronation Supplement, right, with a grand picture of the scene at Westminster Abbey filling the front page.
Inside were photographs of the royal carriage and scenes from Edinburgh showing the celebrations in full swing as well as detailed reports covering close to every part of the memorable event.
ORKNEY’S WINTRY WEATHER
It was mostly a “stay at home” Coronation in Orkney, where wintry conditions prevailed throughout the day. But if outside it was cold, miserable and grey, under every roof, from the smallest croft on the shores of Scapa Flow to the gaily bedecked ones in Orkney’s two beflagged towns of Kirkwall and Stromness, the dignity of the Coronation service and the excitement and pageantry of the procession were conjured up by the radio.
In Shetland a bitterly cold northerly gale caused the cancellation of outdoor celebrations for children and, where possible, the children were taken to public halls.
Many bonfires were lit on the highest hills on the island last night. At Gallow Hill, near Scalloway, the ancient capital of Shetland, a bonfire was Shetland’s link in the nation-wide chain of bonfires.
MORAY AND NAIRN
In spite of the weather the spirit of rejoicing in Moray and Nairn found enthusiastic expression in ceremonial parades, sports, picnics, dancers, fireworks displays and bonfires. They began with religious services in the morning in the larger centres of population and the festivities continued throughout the day and evening.
From the Califer Hill, which commands a view of seven counties stretching from Aberdeenshire to Caithness, a grandstand view was provided for a ring of bonfires that were lit in towns and villages right along the coast.
ABERDEEN – CROWDS DRAWN TO BIG PARADE
A procession which took an hour to pass the saluting base at the Music Hall was the highlight of Aberdeen’s celebrations. Throughout the three-mile route crowds jammed the pavements and the 1600 Servicemen of the Navy, Army, and Air Force, who were accompanied by civilian and youth organisations, were loudly cheered as they marched along Union Street with pipes and drums and bands.
In the absence of Lord Provost J. M. Graham, who was attending the Coronation ceremony at Westminster, the salute was taken by Sheriff S. Mcdonald, senior Sheriffsubstitute. Pride of place in the trade and industry section, comprising 74 decorated vehicles was given to the “Craigievar Express” – a three-wheeled steam-driven car invented by Andrew Lawson, a Donside postman in 1897. It came through its test with great success.
Earlier in the day special church services throughout the city were well attended. Members of the Town Council, Magistrates, Sheriffs, officials and representatives of many organisations joined a congregation of 1500 at the city’s official Coronation service in the West Church of St Nicholas.
As the Queen was being crowned, four guns drawn up on Castlehill Terrace fired a Royal Salute at the order of an officer listening in to the broadcast of the ceremony.
In the evening at Pittodrie Park, the first performance was given of the historical pageant “Bygone Aberdeen”, which covered the city’s history from the earliest times.
As darkness fell, bonfires were lit on high ground at Kincorth and Cairncry, and a fireworks display was given at the Links.
A party of estate workers from Balmoral were in London for the Coronation and the remainder took part in celebrations arranged by a Crathie committee which had Major Andrew W. Haig, the Queen’s factor at Balmoral as chairman. After a dance in the new hall at Crathie in the evening, the festivities concluded with a bonfire on the top of Craighuie, a hill overlooking Balmoral.
Stonehaven put on the greatest show of its lifetime. A half-mile long procession was a pageant of colour, gaiety and history. Children and old people were specially entertained. There was a fancy dress parade, a swimming gala, a gymkhana, a display of motor car handling, old-time dancing and the day finished with the lighting of a giant bonfire on Cowie Cliffs and a display of fireworks.
THE CELEBRATIONS IN FIFE
Anstruther Town Hall, where the televised programme of the Coronation was on view to the old folks, was the focal point of celebrations in the united burghs in the morning. In the afternoon children’s sports were held in Waid Park.
Open air dancing on the Folly was the attraction in the evening and finally came the fireworks display with a bonfire on a boat at the mouth of the harbour forming the climax.
A half-mile long procession was a pageant of colour, gaiety and history
At Crail the celebrations began with a service in Old St Mary’s Church. Old folks were given an opportunity of watching the televised Coronation ceremony in Old St Mary’s Church Hall.
In the afternoon there were spots in Beechwalk Park followed by teas for children and old folks. Then Coronation souvenirs were distributed. A football match was the attraction in the early evening and a film performance was provided for the children.
10,000 WATCH TV AT DUNDEE BIG SERVICES PARADE
Dundee had a full programme of Corporation-sponsored and privatelyorganised events. A chilly east wind, however, made conditions poor for children’s outdoor events and for crowds watching processions.
In the forenoon a large crowd watched a Royal salute being fired at Riverside Park by the Dundee battery of the 276 (Highland) Field Regiment R.A. T.A. The city’s official service was held in Dundee Parish Church (St Mary’s) where Baillie A. G. Hossick, acting Lord Provost, attended, accompanied by civic dignitaries. A queue formed at 6 a.m. for admission to the Caird Hall, where the Corporation sponsored a TV show. Twenty sets were in operation. Old age pensioners had been given tickets previously. About 2000 people packed the hall, and there was a steady flow of viewers, those going away being quickly replaced by others. During the day some 10,000 people passed through the hall.
Last night the celebrations included a massed pipe band display at Riverside Park, a Corporation fireworks display, and a huge bonfire by the Tay, flood-lighting of the Law War Memorial and a Coronation ball in the Caird Hall.
DUMFRIES HAS A FEU-DE-JOIE
Tree-planting ceremonies at the Dock Park, the Observatory, and at Burns Garden, which mark the opening of celebrations at Dumfries were delayed until early evening because of the televising of the Coronation. Afterwards crowds gathered in High Street at the Mid Steeple when Retreat was played by the pipes and drums of the 5th Bn, King’s Own Scottish Borderers.
The main celebrations started at 11 p.m. when there was an artillery salute at the Whitesands interspersed by a feu-de-joie by riflemen of the K.O.S.B. This display was the signal for illuminating the four bridges over the River Nith, a procession of illuminated boats on the river, a display of fireworks, and a bonfire. From a sports festival held in the afternoon by youth clubs in the town, a team of 12 boys relayed a message from the citizens of Dumfries to Carlisle.
BORDER BONFIRES
So unexpectedly large was the procession of children marching to the Coronation sports at Hawick that the organisers ran out of halfcrowns, one of which had been promised to each child. An emergency call had to be made at a local bank. There were over 2600 children and it cost £330 to give them each their half-crown. At night a huge bonfire was lit at the Miller’s Knowes overlooking the town as one of the Boy Scout series which link-up with bonfires on the Cheviots, Minto Hills, Ruberslaw and throughout the country. A fireworks display followed.
NIGHT SCENES IN EDINBURGH JOYOUS CELEBRATIONS
Coronation day was almost over before Edinburgh began her visible rejoicings. By day the city was still and silent, but as soon as darkness fell a brave attempt was made to bring back the light – or so it seemed – with bonfires, floodlighting and fireworks. And the people, having viewed and listened to the celebrating in London, came out in thousands, themselves, to celebrate.
Until well into the evening the town had almost a Sabbath stillness. By sunset, however, large, thickening crowds appeared on the streets.
Seldom had there been so rapid a convergence of people on the city centre, and traffic was slowed to a crawling pace. From all over Edinburgh they thronged into Princes Street. The stance chosen by most was opposite Waverley. From there, the view covered the fireworks display on Calton Hill, the bonfire on Arthur’s Seat, the floodlit Castle, and the twinkling lights of flagbedecked Princes Street itself.
One of the best vantage points was the Castle esplanade but, surprisingly, not many people chose to watch from there. About 10.15 the red glow of the bonfire appeared over the gaunt shoulder of Arthur’s Seat, a few minutes later the Castle was illuminated, and at 10.30 the first rockets went up from the Calton Hill, the Braids, Corstorphine Hill and Leith Links.
A fire was burning brightly somewhere in the Pentlands, and spots of light began to appear along the coast of Fife, a reminder, perhaps, not only of other celebrations – those, for instance, that marked the crowning of Queen Victoria – but of the balefires that used to be started centuries ago to give alarm of inroads from England.
NEWSREELS DELAYED
Managers of leading Edinburgh cinemas spent an anxious night waiting and hoping for the first newsreel shots of the Coronation.
These were being flown north from London, but the aircraft was held up by bad weather in the North of England, and although taxis were standing by at Turnhouse airport, it was impossible to collect the copies in time for the last evening performances.