Queen’s Coronation Day 1953

by John Duffell

On 2nd June 1953, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was celebrated in Epping, as it was across the country. Local people had been making plans for weeks. There was to be a procession through the town, a fair at Stonards Hill and in the evening a torchlight procession and music and dancing. The one thing that couldn’t be planned was of course the weather. The day itself was unseasonably cold, with what was described at the time as an icy wind. The festivities were due to start in the afternoon and eventually people started to leave the warmth of their homes and gathered in the High Street, huddling together in shop doorways in an effort to keep warm. Slowly the crowd grew, and a police car signalled the start of the procession.

The procession was led by local people on horseback dressed in royal costumes. They were followed by four men dressed in tricorn hats carrying a sedan chair containing 15 year-old schoolgirl Susan Greenwood. Then came a coach and horses belonging to the Pelly family, and a collection on bicycles of all shapes and sizes, including a penny-farthing. The Pearly King and Queen of Ongar came past, accompanied by their 7 year-old daughter. Behind them came a couple of veteran cars, one of which had broken down earlier, and was only able to take part after some last-minute roadside repairs. A contingent from 414 Squadron of the Air Training Corps pulled a somewhat squeaky carriage upon which was mounted a large crown. Unfortunately this lost a wheel and also had to be hurriedly repaired. After this came a succession of floats, mostly on lorries supplied by W J Keen. The Cottis entry was a thatched cottage on wheels, which won the first prize in the traders section. British Matthews took second prize, with coal merchants Hayden’s coming third. The Hayden entry featured a couple in easy chairs next to a glowing fire, They must have wished that the fire was real as they sat huddled in their overcoats in the back of the lorry.

Among the other entries were Epping Floral Society, who had a fully-planted garden on their lorry, Theydon Garnon Sunday School, portraying children of all races, and the British Legion, whose Elizabethan tableau won a prize for the most imaginative float. The complete list of prize-winners was as follows. Representative Class: 1 British Red Cross,

2 Epping Secondary School, 3 Epping Scouts. Traders: 1 Cottis, 2 British Matthews, 3 Hayden’s Coal. Imaginative:

1 British Legion, 2 Pyne’s Stores, 3 Epping Roman Catholic Church. Decorative: 1 Epping Women’s Institute, 2 Theydon Garnon Sunday School, 3 Epping Floral Society.

After the procession many people made their way up to the fair at Stonards Hill. None stayed very long, however, as it was far too cold, Others were determined to carry on regardless of the weather, Ben Hiscott conducted the Epping Silver Band dressed in an overcoat and a trilby hat.

Following the prizegiving there was an impromptu meeting of the Celebration Committee. The Chairman, Councillor C Corti Woodcock, announced that the planned evening entertainment would be postponed to the following day, which was a Saturday. Despite the bad weather, Epping still managed to celebrate the Coronation in some style.

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