Right Royal Memories - win signed copies of Lesley Pearse's new book Without a Trace and other goodies

When I was about five, in the fifties, we were given the afternoon off school because Princess Margaret was to be coming through our village. We were issued with small Union Jacks. Our mothers came to collect us and we walked to the main road. I remember wait and waiting. Then eventually a black car drove past. I thought it was a black cab, but it was Princess Margaret's car. We saw nothing of her and we were so disappointed!

Prince William was born on the day that I heard that my Royal Marine husband was coming home after the Falklands War. I told my friend that I felt like doing something to celebrate so I went and had my ears pierced!!

My daughter must have been about 3 when Charles and Diana got married. We were staying with my mother at the time and she bought Sarah a Union Jack flag which she waved with great gusto for hours. By the time we saw Diana for the first time and the service started, Sarah was fast asleep and missed it all!

I remember having to make my children hats to wear to school decorated in red, white and blue for Andrew and Fergie's wedding. My daughter was no problem, but my son was adamant he wasn't wearing a hat, whatever the occasion.

I remember feeling very angry/jealous because the girl next door won the fancy dress. Not very original, she went as the Queen! Where as me and my sister went as hulla hulla girls. The hit record at the time was: She wears red feathers and a hulla hulla skirt. I thought we looked fabulous.

I was 9 at the Coronation and there was a Fancy Dress Parade for us too. I went as the Queen of Hearts in a long blue velvet dress made from an old curtain with silver paper hearts stuck all over and carrying a plate of home-made jam tarts. I had a cardboard crown also covered in silver paper hearts.

I also sang in the Borough-wide children's choir and we sang :

Jerusalem
I Vow to thee my country
Dashing Away with a Smoothing Iron
David of the White Rock
Early One Morning and two verses of the National Anthem.

Vivid memories!

I was just 11yrs old at the Queen's Coronation and we didn't have TV in our home then but the neighbours did and I was invited in to watch theirs - in black and white of course! I remember the day being wet and our street party had to be held in the local Church Hall. A Fancy Dress parade was part of the event and my mother sent me as Mrs Mop complete with bucket, mop and turban!!

I spent the night before the Coronation on the pavement somewhere down Park Lane. I'm sure I didn't sleep. During the night, someone came along shouting that Everest had been climbed - that was Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tensing, the first to reach the summit. The next day it rained. My friend Ann fainted and was carried off to the the first-aid tent and brought back in time for the procession. As well as the golden coach and the smiling Queen, I remember the Queen of Tonga, bareheaded in the rain and smiling and waving, Winston Churchill, the Scottish soldiers lining the route in front of us, wearing kilts; I remember the white of their uniform - was it Blanco? running in the rain, and their good humour throughout. I was 16.

I remember standing for a very long time to see Princess Diana when she visited Exeter.It was a hot day and several people fainted and we're looked after by the St John's Ambulance team.
I went with a friend and we took our toddler's with us.

I'd forgotten about that glammanana. I think you are from Wirral and I was in that crowd too waiting to see the Queen. It was a lot of waiting for just a glimpse.

I was just 3 when the Coronation took place and can remember the big long
tables that stretched in front of our door and down the Road,all the mums where running about making sandwiches for the party and big jugs of home made lemonade for everyone,we where all given a teaspoon as a memento,my poor mum was run ragged as she was pregnant with my sister at the time and my dad poorly in bed with the Mumps he had a black sticky stuff on his neck to help with the swelling and was so so miserable that he was confined from the beer tent after paying 6p a week for weeks before.
When I was 6 The Queen came to our Town and we where all marched in pairs to the main Road where we had to sit cross legged for what seemed like ages before a massive black car drove by slowly and the tiniest person waved to us we could just about see her as she looked so small behind the massive windows on that car,we all waved our flags and where given the afternoon off school much to our mums annoyance.

I was 9 a few days before the Queen's coronation. My uncle had bought my grandparents a television, it had a tiny screen inside a huge wooden cabinet. My grandma had invited friends and neighbours in to watch it her house was packed.She laid on a huge tea party with all of us huddled round that tiny screen.
My brother had been born a few days before and the people in our street bought him one of those pram rattles that stretched across the pram, big red white and blue plastic balls on a length of elastic. He was the street's Coronation baby.
I have never met any Royal person, but my dad said he had danced with the Duchess of Windsor during WW2. He was serving in the Merchant Navy and his ship had docked somewhere in the USA. There was a party being held for British servicemen and the Duke and Duchess were present and my dad said the Duchess did a waltz with all the servicemen there, changing partners every few minutes.At the time she was still a hate figure in this country but my dad said she was perfectly charming to him, mind he never told my mother what she had said to him!. Afterwards he would not have a bad word said about her. Which was something coming from my dad who was no fan of the royal family.

In 1956 the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did a whistle stop tour of parts of Scotland. I had been gala queen that year so was asked to present her with a bouquet wearing my gala robes and complete with crown, sceptre and maids.Duke of Edinburgh was somewhat bemused as I approached until it was explained to him why I was dressed so. My mum and dad were invited to the ceremony but like many famillies at that time we didn't own a camera so we had no photos to remind us of the occasion. Shortly after I received a package from East Lothian's Chief Constable of Police and it contained large photos which of his officers had taken. Mum was ecstatic

Pathe News had been following the tour and I think the way I was dressed caught their imagination as shortly after the visit it film of the tour was shown in cinemas throughout the county. Those were the days when Pathe News was shown in between the little film and the main film. My mum went to see the film "Carousel" 7 times just to watch that little snippet of the Queen and Prince Phillip talking to me.

Nearly 50 years later on a visit to Scotland BBC news happened to mention their new film archive setup So out of curiosity I wrote to them . So now I have on CD a film of the Royal visit which includes my little "Queen meets queen " piece.

I remember watching the coronation of the Queen at the house of a lady in a nearby street. The room was full of people all crowded round the small black & white television. Watching the television was a treat, as not many people had a television in those days.

I have already posted on the 'blog thread' about my memories of the Coronation.

We were in London for the Jubilee and remember the Queen coming out onto the balcony to wave to the crowd. There were bonfires on the hills and generally a lovely atmosphere.

My other memory is of my son-in-law openly lusting after Pippa when we were watching Prince Harry and Kates' wedding. He just laughed when I told him off!

I was nine on Coronation day, I remember it well. We were lucky enough to have a television, and my parents had invited some friends round for the day,I did watch some of it, but have to admit , I did find some of it a bit boring, I can remember playing cricket in the garden with my friends brothers, who were home from boarding school, so they were very good, and I wasnt! But I could run ,in those days
I can remember thinking how beautiful the Queen looked, and how young,and how she managed to carry the orb and sceptre, with that wonderful crown on her head, for what seemed an awfully long way.
My mother had put on a good spread,there wasn't a street party where we lived, but we had a very substantial 'tea'
It was a memorable day in so many ways. It's good to see the colour films of it, that beautiful coach, and all those lovely horses. Definitely a day I will never forget.

I remember when I was about 7, the Queen was going through our area en route to the city centre. My mother (who was from Southern Ireland, but loved the Royal Family) got all of us ready to go to try to catch a glimpse. Just as we were leaving the house, our dog gave birth to three puppies and so we were delayed. We got there just in time to see the Royal car whizz by (they must have been late). Very disappointing. Five years ago, the year I retired, I was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. It was very exciting going to London with DH. We were given an dress code and it was lovely choosing an outfit and seeing all the other ladies on the day in their hats. We saw the Queen and Duke at close quarters, there were bands playing and we were free to walk around the gardens and a small part of the place. We had dainty little sandwiches and chocolate cakes with little crowns on them. Unfortunately towards the end of the afternoon, the heavens opened and it didn't just rain, it was an absolute deluge. The chairs were all blown around the garden and we had to all run inside for cover. We were soaked to the skin.
The weather just got worse and the party had to be abandoned. Just my luck It was a great day though and it was only towards the end that it was spoiled

I remember Charles and Dianas wedding.
Myself and my brothers were all schoolkids at the time - and we were eagerly looking forward to a big street party we were having with all the neighbours.
The day of the party arrived...........
Balloons, bunting, tables and chairs were all decked out in the street, food on tables piled high on plates and big jugs of wonderful coloured juices.
None of us could go ....................we had all woke up with chicken pox !!!

I remember Princess Margaret visiting our school when I was in the sixth form. We had to waste endless time practising curtseying – what the little ones referred to as "doing the Princess Margaret". Needless to say they were bitterly disappointed by the unsmiling diminutive middle-aged figure dressed in a dark colour when they had been expecting a sparkling ball gown, curly blond hair and a crown. When HRH arrived we were lined up along the corridors and curtseyed in batches in an absurd sort of reverse Mexican wave. We had to eat our packed lunches in the late morning and out of sight while the guests, staff and, possibly, the Head Girl and Deputy dined in style at a more normal hour. When she departed – more compulsory clapping and bobbing up and down – she left behind the presentation purse for whichever of "her" charities we had collected the money for. All together a completely wasted, boring and unsatisfactory day – both for her and us. I can't imagine why she came there in the first place.

I was lucky enough to win tickets for the Prom at the Palace for the Golden Jubilee. We had lovely picnics provided and there was plenty to drink. Unfortunately the number of loos needed was underestimated and we had the unlikely experience of peeing in the bushes in Buckingham Palace garden. Helpful footmen held up the ropes and told us which direction was Ladies and which Gents!
On a less earthy note, the highlight for me was when the National Anthem was announced and the audience, without instruction, all turned to face the Queen whose grandstand was at the back and sang to her.

Remember a party at the pub for children with a petting zoo, balloon animals made by a clown and party games to celebrate wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

Silver jubilee street party with fancy dress. 3 streets came together and each household brought food.

Diamond jubilee street party organised by local pub with competitions, food, even got on the local TV news.

My own christening took place during the same week as the Queen's Coronation in 1953...the Bible and Prayer book given to me by my godmother was a commemorative one and was beautifully made and illustrated.

I remember, as a young mum, celebrating the Queens Silver Jubilee...I was pregnant with my second child (no revealing scans then so at that point I didn't know that I was carrying my first daughter!) and a nearby cul de sac had arranged a fabulous street party.

The close had tables from end to end and we all brought food. It was a lovely warm day... my son, who was toddling around manfully under his own steam at going on for two, was the same height as the tables and had never seen so much food all at once - his eyes were like saucers as he worked his way around the edge of the tables trying to take it all in ( and trying to remember not to touch till he was told he could!)

We had speeches, songs, games for the children and various 'tipples' for the adults, not to mention an unending supply of cups of tea. The atmosphere was so friendly and happy, everyone watched everyone's children, the sun shone and life was good. It was a really lovely day to be part of.

I have since enjoyed Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee (celebrated in 2002, the same year as I was 50)...who can forget Brian May belting it out on the Palace roof?

Then more recently, the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 which was an especially memorable year for me and mine as Beth, my youngest grandaughter, was born on 03 June, during the afternoon amidst all the royal celebrations...and I was 60 three weeks later, so out came the balloons and party poppers all over again, plus more champagne, of course!

Being born in 1952 has given me a great excuse to 'share' The Queen's many celebrations over the years!

I was at work in a small Grocery shop on the day Princess Anne married Captain Mark Philips. The Boss, (who later became my husband), brought in a little television for the staff to watch, and set it up in the shop. I really don't know why he opened the shop that Thursday morning. We didn't have one customer through the door. The wedding was magical, as all weddings are.
As for the Queen's Coronation, I was eighteen months old and my big cousin was four. We took part in the fancy dress competition for the children of the town. My mother and aunt mad us costumes from silk and crepe paper. My cousin went as the crown, and I was dressed as a rosette. I have the black and white photos as a reminder. Of course I remember nothing of the day at all, I was much too young!

On the day of Charles and Diana's wedding, my policeman husband had to do a 15 hour day in the middle of London.
I had 3 children covered in chicken pox, in front of the TV.
Happy days.

I remember the Coronation. We got a television, well my mum told everyone that was why we got it, my dad always said it was to watch Stanley Matthews in the Cup Final. On the day two sets of grandparents,two aunts and uncles, a cousin, my brother and me and my mum and dad crowded into our living room to watch it. Children had to sit on the floor of course. I had a coronation ball which was red, white and blue and there was a tin of coronation toffees passed around. I got bored and fidgetty and would have liked to go out to play with my ball, but of course it was pouring with rain. Eventually I went and sat in the back porch on a cold concrete floor and bounced my ball at the wall. I also got a mug at school, I have just passed it on to my daughterin law who has started a small collection of Royal commemorative china.

The Duchess of Kent came to visit our town in the 1970s, all the streets were decorated with bunting. We also watched the royal weddings on television. Our favourite has to be William and Catherine's

I do not remember the Queens coronation, but I do remember that all the children in our school were given a 'Coronation mug' we kept our toothbrushes in mine!