1953 The Queen's Coronation

1953 was the 50th anniversary of the town and also the year of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Letchworth celebrated along with the rest of the country.

The Coronation was that year – 1953. We lived in Bedford Road, and opposite us were pre-fabs. They were all decorated for the Coronation. I think the weather as good before it, but the evening of the Coronation there was a storm and all the decorations were damaged. The people really had taken a lot of care to decorate them. I had a mug from school, with sweets in. I still have it.

My mother actually took us up to see the decorations a couple or so weeks before the Coronation, my sister and I. We went to Westminster Abbey to see the decorations. There were all these crowds, and a policeman said they were rehearsing inside and if we waited here we would see the Queen come out, which we did. That was really exciting.