What happened in Sheffield for the Coronation (1953)

[hazel]

I went to my boy friend at the time's house to watch as they had a TV.

My Mom and Dad had also got a televsion for the event and invited friends to watch the Coronation, all our chairs being placed in the front room in rows.

As I remember it rained all day and I'm not sure but think by then I had left school, so no scissors for me.

I was at school when the late King died as I remember the Head Mistress saying "The King is dead long live the Queen" in the dining room during dinner time. But can not think of anythng special that Sheffield did.

I also talked to a friend in the RAF who said they lined the streets and stood to attention as the coach passed.

There was the song that came out "In a golden coach there's a heart of gold "

hazel

[ara01jbb]

Just bumping the message to let you know I've uploaded a low res scan of the map I mentioned. Note the tram lines, the hotel on the site of the Fountain Precinct, and the cinema on the city of Embrace nightclub.

 

Thanks to everyone who contributed their recollections. Does anyone have any memories relating to this central part of Sheffield, however?

 

Cheers!

[Fareast]

Sorry------no specific memories of that part of central Sheffield, re-Coronation time but in general, a few memories :-

The hotel was the Grand, Sheffield's most expensive. The main entrance was on Leopold St.

On Barker's Pool two cinemas faced each other----the Gaumont on the Peace Gardens side and the Cinema House on the Leopold St. side. There was a music shop, Wilson Gumperts [ sp. ? ] on the corner of Barker's Pool and Leopold St.

Past the Grand on the same side of Leopold St, going towards West.St was an

' educational area ', with the City Grammar School and the City Tech., very near each other.

Lots of little shops round there in 1953 and, I think, a traditional cafe on Orchard Lane. [ Well, it was there in the early '60's anyway ! ].At the very bottom of West St. [ or nearly ] was the white Telephone Building. Not many buildings in the centre were white in 1953.

Surrey St. had Tuckwoods restaurant and lots of little specialist shops. There was Davy's restaurant on Fargate. The YMCA was on the corner of Norfolk Row and Fargate. The City Hall and Central Library were almost exactly as they are now. The Peace Gardens had an ugly row of bus shelters running on its Pinstone St. side-----or more likely tram shelters !

The city seemed busier than it is now, more vibrant------no competition from supermarkets or Meadowhall. I suppose there's lots more that people can remember but I hope this gives you an idea what it was like in the centre as the Coronation took place.

[ Oops---forgot to mention the Playhouse Theatre just down Townhead St. and of course there were a good few pubs around too ! ]

[soft ayperth]

No it was definitely Hillsborough I was there as well the girls got scissors in the juniors the younger boys and girls got a mug and tin of chocs.

 

Come to think of it, you must be right because I remember there were spectators, schoolkids and teachers mostly, on all 4 sides of the stadium, whereas Bramall lane was open on one side.

 

On Coronation day, my family all went to the home of my grandmother's employer. They had a TV, b/w 17in at best, which was a rarity back then. Everyone was transfixed as we watched it with curtains drawn, in a pitch black room.

[Joanl]

It was definitely Hillsborough cos I've never been to Bramall Lane....I used to think that was for cricket to tell you the truth:roll:

And Fareast, wasn't that music shop, end of Leopold St....Wilson Peck's.?

Oh and I remember the mug we got at school too.

[DUFFEMS]

Lots of local pubs had parties but, I don't think anything major happened in the centre of Sheffield, I may be wrong.

 

We attended a kids party at the Myrtle pub on Alexandra Road, Heeley, we all received a metal money box in the shape of a crown on a red cushion. During the 1960's I still had mine and I went all "modern" by painting it with white paint along with all the utility furniture in my bedroom so I think my money box was chucked out as a result!

 

Duffem

[Springslass]

I lived in Normanton Springs (Woodhouse) at the time and remember we had a huge party with everyone taking part. My mother made costumes for us...I was a little Welsh girl, my sister was dressed as Britannia....can't remember what the others wore but we kids rode up and down the street on a horse drawn cart. The whole street was decorated in red, white and blue. Afterwards there was a tea party in the local school. I had just started school and remember getting a knife, fork and spoon set....I still have the fork and spoon. I think these are my earliest memories so it obviously was a spectacular day.

[Buster]

I was 7 at the time and went to Barkers pool in the City to see the Queen. The crowds were huge and jam packed together, generally pushing and shoving to get a good view. When she appeared on the balcony at the Town Hall, the cheering was deafening to a little un like me! Some one lifted me up on their shoulders for a better view and I always remember a couple of young blokes climbing on top of a bright red telephone box to get above the throng. They were cheering and waving like mad. I was thinking that they might fall off! This was opposite the Gaumont Cinema in Barkers Pool.

[Fareast]

Joanl:-

 

Of course, it was Wilson Peck 's at the corner of Barker's Pool and Leopold Street ! I wonder why I said ' Wilson Gumperts ' ? The name SEEMED to ring a bell or perhaps my brain cells are disappearing faster than I thought ?

[soft ayperth]

We went to my Aunty's in Southey Green to watch the coronation on her "television set".

I was 12 then and felt very important because we had a relative that had a telly. It was to be another couple of years until we got one ourselves.

I remember going to Hillsborough football ground with all the schools in Sheffield and taking part in a clebration for the coronation. We were wearing red white and blue shirts and when we were all in position and bent over, it made a giant Union Jack.

Her Majesty was driven round the pitch in a Limo and she waved at us. I don't know how near that was to the actual coronation although it was 1953.

 

Joan: I'm pretty sure that it was a little more than a year after the Coronation that the Queen's visit to Sheffield occurred. Her coronation was 2 June/'53. I remember going to the stadium (although I admit to having forgotten which one) as a new pupil at High Storrs Gr School, where I first enrolled in Sep 54. The reason this sticks in my mind is because like many others I had prepared to be in that flag routine while I was in my last year at Woodhouse West School. My move to High Storrs meant that I had to watch it from the stands as that school didn't participate. Her visit must have been in '54. So, to go back to the original query that started the thread, I wonder whether some of the events surrounding the actual Coronation and those relating to her later visit to Sheffield are becoming blurred. Admittedly, her visit to Sheffield was prompted by her accession to the throne.