THE Coronation of the Queen at Westminster Abbey, on June 2, 1953, excited considerable interest around the world. Across the UK, towns and cities staged their own celebrations but, as the Evening Times pointed out, the real heart of the festivities “lies in the unofficial programme - the street parties, the street dancing tonight, the little and the big bonfires, and the glee parties.” The display in Dumbarton’s Clyde Street (pictured) was a colourful typical example.
Pensioners watched the ceremony on numerous TV sets at Greenock Town Hall and Dundee’s Caird Hall. Officers and friends of 227 (Highland) Field Regiment raised between £40 and £50 to provide blank ammunition for the firing of a 21-gun salute at Greenock’s Well Park. Edinburgh’s streets were deserted in the morning, with residents watching the live broadcast on TV or in the cinema or listening to the radio coverage, while the few restaurants that were open had their busiest day in months. In Arbroath, decorated fishing-boats took passengers on a short sail around the harbour. A cold northerly gale across Shetland forced outdoor events for children to be held indoors instead. At Port of Spittal, in Dumfries and Galloway, a £10 reward was offered for information about the person who set the local bonfire alight early on the day. And in Glasgow, people danced the night away, even if they had to wear overcoats against the biting cold.
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