I've been given a 1:1250 scale Ordnance Survey map of the centre of Sheffield dated April 1953. It's centered on Barker's Pool, goes north as far as Campo Lane, west as far as a bit of Rockingham Street, south to Charles Street and east as far as the site of the Winter Gardens.

EDIT: sod it, I've slapped a watermark on, and await the folks at Ordnance Survey to come and tell me off... here is a link to the map:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2176/2121917865_e087869710.jpg?v=0

I'm trying to find out what was going on in Sheffield around this time. Every time I have a spare hour I go to the Local Studies Library in the city to scroll through a reel of microfilm copies of the Sheffield Telegraph, but that's pretty slow progress.

Can anyone tell me what happened the week of the Coronation in Sheffield? Were their parades, street parties or festivities in the city centre? I'm going to get to that date in the newspapers soon, but would appreciate other info.

Thanks,

*j*

My mother told me that there was a street party in Attercliffe, and the kiddies (girls) were presented with a commemmorative miniature teacup, saucer and plate set, which had the Lord's Prayer on and a replica of da vincis last supper painting on it.

(IIRC the boys got a penknife.)

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.

Our street party in Darnall was cancelled because of the weather so we all went into the local pub, The Kings Head on Poole Road. Had a good time as far as I can remember. We were given a coronation mug.

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.

I was at the stadium that day, Joan. Wasn't it Bramall Lane though? Around the time of the Coronation, the young boys in school each received a pen knife with the Queen and Prince Philip's images on the handle. I lost mine on the way home from school, which upset my mum no end. I forget what the girls got.

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.I remember that at School all the girls got a commemorative mug and the boys got a penknife..these penknives must be very rare now co's as soon as you tried to cut something the plastic handle broke off...plastic wasn't very good in 1953..Also I remember people carrying chairs up and down the streets at 8 oclock in the morning..off to a house with a telly, our house was full of relatives and neighbours who had not got a telly ..at about 11 oclock the anointing bit in the coronation took place and co's the Queen might expose some of herself , the TV camermen filmed the ceiling in the Abbey in respect while a choir sang a mournfull song...i got fed up of the ceremony at this point and went into Concord Park to kick my football around..I must have been the only person in the park that day...I remember the Hillsborough Football Do was some Months later when the Queen did a tour of the land...Another memory of that year was the successful climbing of Everest announced the day before the big event.

I was at the stadium that day, Joan. Wasn't it Bramall Lane though? Around the time of the Coronation, the young boys in school each received a pen knife with the Queen and Prince Philip's images on the handle. I lost mine on the way home from school, which upset my mum no end. I forget what the girls got.

I was also at the stadium and it was Hillsborough. Remember pushing my way to the front so that i could see! We girls at our school got a small pair of scissors shaped as a stork. We also got a New Testament from Sunday School, which I think I still have somewhere around.

I was at the stadium that day, Joan. Wasn't it Bramall Lane though? Around the time of the Coronation, the young boys in school each received a pen knife with the Queen and Prince Philip's images on the handle. I lost mine on the way home from school, which upset my mum no end. I forget what the girls got.

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.

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.

Yes we got scissors, i was at St Patricks school on Lane Top, we were all taken to the pictures to see the coronation thats when they gave out the scissors ect. .

Like Timbuck, at our Primary school, the boys got a knife and the girls a mug and as far as I can remember, we had a school street party .......of sorts.

We were lucky in that we had a telly [ [ a Cosser [ ? ] I think ] and our back room was like a miniature cinema, filled with relatives and friends, coming and going all day !

Unfortunately, it was a dull, showery day, both here and in London, although I believe the sun did come out in London for a time in the afternoon.

I don't think anything very special otherwise happened in Sheffield at that time. We had about 50 cinemas on the go, transport was very cheap, there was still widespread bomb damage to be seen and full employment, with the steel works going at full blast.

Internationally, Stalin had died in March so things had relaxed a little in Europe and Everest had been conquered shortly before the coronation. An important year for many people. [ On a personal note, I passed the scholarship and we moved house from one part of Hunter's Bar to another ].

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

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!

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 ! ]

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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 ?

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.

Just checked. "Images of Sheffield" (The Star) has photos of the Queen's visit to Sheff dated 1954, no exact date given.

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 ?

:hihi:There was a Wilson Gumperts, I remember the name but just not where it was or what they sold to be honest. I did however used to like looking at the lovely shiny baby grands in Wilson Peck ahhh and dream:)

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.

Blurred it is, that's true....all seems to merge into one these days:hihi: To be honest I can't remember any other things that happened at the time...can't recall any street parties or things like that. Even the commerative mugs etc....I am sure I had a mug then I read about the chocolates and the scissors and THEY ring a bell also......wouldn't it be great if you could put your memory on rewind, just like the videos( or dvd's even now) we'd have no problems at all remembering then, would we.:hihi:

Wilson Gumpets was a toy shop in Fitzalen Square. I loved it, it was bursting-- as I remember-- with toys. got my dolls pram there.
hazel

I think the Queens visit was 1954 because we had Coronation day off workin 52, a public holiday but I worked the day of the queens visit.

I worked for the Public Health Dept whose office windows overlooked the front of the Town Hall.
So we drew straws for the one person the staff would allow in ther office to see the queen though the windows, from outside town centre clinics/nurseries.
I won, but was not very happy as they didn't really want me there.
hazel

The Queen's visit to Sheffield was during the first week in August 1954. During our last week before the summer holidays at Malin Bridge Infants School, we were all given a little tin of Cadbury's chocolate with portraits of the Queen and Duke etc. on the lid.

:hihi:There was a Wilson Gumperts, I remember the name but just not where it was or what they sold to be honest. I did however used to like looking at the lovely shiny baby grands in Wilson Peck ahhh and dream:)



Blurred it is, that's true....all seems to merge into one these days:hihi: To be honest I can't remember any other things that happened at the time...can't recall any street parties or things like that. Even the commerative mugs etc....I am sure I had a mug then I read about the chocolates and the scissors and THEY ring a bell also......wouldn't it be great if you could put your memory on rewind, just like the videos( or dvd's even now) we'd have no problems at all remembering then, would we.:hihi:

I think this is one of the great things abt this web site, Joan. Individually, we forget or blur images from the past. Collectively, we can put them together.

Btw., I do think that the penknives, scissors, mugs, etc given out in school were doled out in connection with the Coronation, as opposed to the Queen's visit a year later. I say that because I remember losing the "chuffing" (another thread) thing on my way home from Woodhouse West School, which I left in '54.

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.
Joan our paths keep (belatedly crossing),I was in my usual spot at the Leppings Lane end on that day.My uncle had a tv on Parson Cross and all the family went to watch the coronation.He also had one of the those magnifying glass thingies so all the edges were all distorted.
Merry Christmas to you .

Joan our paths keep (belatedly crossing),I was in my usual spot at the Leppings Lane end on that day.My uncle had a tv on Parson Cross and all the family went to watch the coronation.He also had one of the those magnifying glass thingies so all the edges were all distorted.
Merry Christmas to you .

Yes yes yes, I'd forgotten that bit. Oh can you imagine and I thought it was really posh at the time.:suspect:
Another auntie who was a bit of a Royalist took me to Walsh's to see the crown jewel replicas which I think was also around the same time. Apparently the jewels were touring the uk as well.
Isn't it strange how although the memories are a bit faded round the edges now, it's like a chain reaction when one memory sparks off another.....still can't remember any street parties though:(
Merry Christmas to you too and nice to "bump into" you again:hihi: I still refer to my posting photo instruction sheet.:thumbsup:

I watched the the Coronation on my uncle's 9 inch screen TV at the Lord Nelson Pub (my uncle, Bob Sweet, was the landlord).

Boys got commemoration penknives and girls got a mug. W

I watched the Coronation on my uncle's 9 inch screen TV at the Lord Nelson Pub (my uncle, Bob Sweet, was the landlord). He was the only person we knew that had a TV.

Boys got commemoration penknives and girls got a mug. Not sure what the timing was, but we also had a street party where I lived (Westbury Street in Attercliffe) with benches and trestles along the street, everybody contributed to the food, and there was bunting and flags strung across the street.

My mum had some really old black and white photos of the party. Not sure where they went to.

I wasn't in Sheffield but stationed at Hounslow in West London, I was a corporal in the R Signals and was given the job along with a Foreman of Sigs. of organising most of the Communications for the ceremony and the parade. We installed a transmitter on Victoria monument and had a wooden dais built on the Mall opposite the Horse Guards parade ground and very near to Admiralty arch. I started the Parade by simply holding up a disc on a pole after a lad on victoria monument had phoned through to tell me she had got into her carriage. That was the 5 minute warning then the Brigade major gave the order to march and off they went , it was raining and the Navy lads had white blanco running down their uniforms, what a mess. Oddly the biggest cheer went up for the Queen of Tonga who sat in an open carriage, although Churchill got a big cheer.

Most of the south east of England was flooded at the time and the British Everest team had just conquered Everest, what a year.

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


I remember the song Hazel. It was by Dickie Valentine.

I wasn't in Sheffield but stationed at Hounslow in West London, I was a corporal in the R Signals and was given the job along with a Foreman of Sigs. of organising most of the Communications for the ceremony and the parade. We installed a transmitter on Victoria monument and had a wooden dais built on the Mall opposite the Horse Guards parade ground and very near to Admiralty arch. I started the Parade by simply holding up a disc on a pole after a lad on victoria monument had phoned through to tell me she had got into her carriage. That was the 5 minute warning then the Brigade major gave the order to march and off they went , it was raining and the Navy lads had white blanco running down their uniforms, what a mess. Oddly the biggest cheer went up for the Queen of Tonga who sat in an open carriage, although Churchill got a big cheer.

Most of the south east of England was flooded at the time and the British Everest team had just conquered Everest, what a year.

Allegedly. Noel Coward was in the crowd watching the procession. When Queen Salote of Tonga appeared in her open carriage, someone asked him who the small man was in the carriage with her. His reply was 'Her lunch'. I also remember the song about her called The Queen of Tonga.

The Queen's visit to Sheffield was during the first week in August 1954. During our last week before the summer holidays at Malin Bridge Infants School, we were all given a little tin of Cadbury's chocolate with portraits of the Queen and Duke etc. on the lid.

Somewhere in my loft is 'The Star' printed on the day of HM's visit in August 1954. I keep telling myself I shall have to find it out.

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 ! ]

The music shop was actually Wilson Peck. I used to buy records there.

I'm trying to find out what was going on in Sheffield around this time. Every time I have a spare hour I go to the Local Studies Library in the city to scroll through a reel of microfilm copies of the Sheffield Telegraph, but that's pretty slow progress.

Can anyone tell me what happened the week of the Coronation in Sheffield? Were their parades, street parties or festivities in the city centre? I'm going to get to that date in the newspapers soon, but would appreciate other info.

Thanks,

*j*


I had just started work when the King died and was in the first year of an apprenticeship at the time of the Coronation.

I don't have very fond memories of that particular day. To have the day off to watch it on TV or hear it on the radio, Davy-United, where I worked, made us give up a stat. holiday. The day we gave up was the previous Easter Tuesday (1953). If my memory serves me right, easter Monday wasn't that good but the Tuesday was an absolutely beautiful day, for the time of year - and we had to work!!!

As you probably now know, the weather on Coronation Day,(Tuesday June 2nd) was absolutely terrible. It started raining in the early hours and it was still raining when we went to bed.

Like a lot of other people, we went to a friend's to watch it on TV. Their house was packed with people. It got as hot as Hades in their front room despite opening the windows a little. If you opened them too wide, the rain poured in. (Remember most houses, then and now, are for single familes - not a front room with 20 plus people. The heat in every body's front rooms was a common complaint at work the next day).

If you had people who smoked, at least they had the good sense to go out side. Some smokers must have caught chills because they were going backwards and forwards from the heat of the room to monsoon outside.

As for the TV's, the picture was black and white of course and the largest screen at the time would be 14 inches. Most were 12 inches and there were still a lot of 9 inch ones kicking around at the time. Watching TV's this size and for that long (transmission started ealy in the morning and it went on until the fireworks had ended very late in the evening) gave quite a few people headaches.

In addition to watching it on TV, you could go to the cinema a few days later and see the whole thing again: this time in colour.

Regards

I was still at school ( St Theresa's) and I seem to remember being given both a mug and a small flat tin of chocolate at school.

On the day my parents joined lots of my dad's colleagues and their families watching the event in the Intake Fire Station on Woodhouse Road. The TV screen was tiny and there were lots of people in the room so I don't know if they saw much. I don't remember watching too much myself but I do remember playing about outside.

Later there was a party with lots of food, jelly and ice cream.

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.


I think this might be that very Union Jack...


http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/LedgerImage7.htm

Here's an image from the Bamforth St celebrations (between Penistone and Langsett Rd)

http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/FreemanImage2.htm

Here's the tin of coronation chocolates given to children at Langsett Rd School (Burton St)

http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/SalkeldImage8.htm

I think this might be that very Union Jack...


http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/LedgerImage7.htm

That's made shivers run down my back....that's the one. :thumbsup: thanks for that. Strange though, it doesn't look so "Giant" really does it.:)

Thought you'd like that! Did you look at the other one too?


http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/LedgerImage6.htm

Thought you'd like that! Did you look at the other one too?


http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/LedgerImage6.htm
Gosh yes, I'd forgotten that bit....at last I can prove to my kids that I wasn't imagining something. :)

I think this might be that very Union Jack...


http://www.burtonstreethistory.org.uk/newweb/pages/LedgerImage7.htm

Wow! I remember that so well, what a brilliant picture.

yes it was hillsborough it was a very hot day and it seemed to last for ever no one from our school had a drink .the Queen and the Duke stayed overnight in their train in Tinsley Park Woods .The next morning we waved to them as they passed by over Shepcote Lane the bridge is still up My sister lived in a cottage in the woods and saw the Duke walking about the next morning .My brother-in-laws always said he came to borrow some milk bu he was only joking

I still have one of those little silver Coronation Coach and Horses that everyone seemed to have in the china cabinet

We went by bus from De La Salle College to Hillsborough to see the Queen and Duke being driven round in an open land rover. The plastic pen-knife that I was given fell to pieces on the way home. Despite Sheffield producing excellent knives this had been made in Hong Kong to save money.

I cannot say it was a good introduction to the Royals. When they visited English Electric Aviation to fly onto Barrow to lay the keel for our first Nuclear Sub, the pair of them caught three of us playing brag on an oil drum. The plane was meant to taxi on the opposite side of the hangar.

The Queen looked disgusted, the Duke burst out laughing, we shot out of site as quick as we could.