Gable Ender - "As she rides in state through the palace gate..."

This can cause a bit of difficulty as most of us of a certain age know that was in 1953 but the Queen had actually succeeded her father on his death on February 6, 1952, which is why we are celebrating the Platinum Jubilee this year.

I can certainly recall having a day off school for the Coronation and receiving a commemorative mug and a tin box containing chocolate. Both the mug and box are long gone, although I would imagine some people will still have theirs.

One of my other memories is having a model of the coronation coach. Unfortunately it did’t survive either.

Another part of the celebration was a special showing of a film at the cinema. I don’t remember its title, although I do recall being sent to the cinema by my mother in the company of an older girl from the neighbourhood.

I don’t think my family were amongst those who had television in those days, although I know that for many people watching the Coronation was their first experience of that medium. My family certainly had a TV by the mid 50s and I remember the first washing machine, an aluminium box with a propeller (no ‘no tangle’ actions in those days).

One night I was recounting the story of our first TV and washing machine to friends and I suddenly realised that their son, aged about 10, was looking quite pityingly, obviously thinking how poor we were. A generation brought up with a TV in most if not every room, videos and computers doesn’t appreciate that we were at the cutting edge of technology, or so we liked to think.

Certainly there have been huge changes over the last 70 or so years. The thought of the speed of change over the next 70 will no doubt be frightening for those who will live through them.

Ah, people ask, were we happy? We certainly had less to aspire to as far as physical things were concerned but I am sure that there were always those who wanted to be the first to have electricity, gas, television etc. No doubt a number of readers will have their own memories of the Coronation and how their lives have changed since.