Felbridge & District History Group :: Coronation & Jubilee Celebrations

Coronation & Jubilee Celebrations

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Coronation Capers
Coronation Capers was a combined show to raise funds for the Coronation Day Celebrations of West Hoathly and Felbridge. The groups involved were The Lake View Drama Club and the West Hoathly Players. The programme consisted of a one act comedy called 'The Thresher' and three variety music acts performed by the Lake View Drama Club. The picture shows the combined cast at West Hoathly Village Hall in March 1953. The performance was repeated in Felbridge in April.
John Maynard on Pinza
The next four pictures are all from the Coronation Fete held on 18th July 1953. The first three pictures are from the Fancy Dress competition. This one being John Maynard as Sir Gordon Richards on his 5/1 favourite mount Pinza, that won the Derby on 6th June 1953. John Maynard won his category of the Fancy Dress competition. Photograph courtesy of Norman Maynard
Mrs Curtis as a tramp
Emma Curtis borrowed her brothers old clothes, added a few tears and a beard to give her the appearance of a male tramp. She even stood by a bonfire before the fete to gain an authentic aroma! Emma is pictured at the back of Park Cottages, Copthorne Road where she lived. Photograph courtesy of D Trefine
Dawn Pannell & Doris Streeter
These School friends from Felbridge Primary School went as the new Queen (Dawn Pannell) and her attendant (Doris Streeter). Dawn won her category in the Fancy Dress. They are pictured on the Village Green. Courtesy of D Green nee Pannell
School Maypole Team
The fete included a number of entertainment events other than the Fancy Dress. This picture is of the Felbridge Primary School Maypole Team. Maypole Dancing was an annual event at the school (usually in May) for many years until the late 1970's. Courtesy of Felbridge School
Brian Roberts in Egypt
At the time of the Coronation I was doing my National Service and we were stationed at a desert garrison near Lake Timseh, part of the Suez Canal. We took part in a celebratory formal parade and as there were several thousand of us, the only suitable large, sand-free, open space was the runway at the nearby RAF station at Ismailia. The high point of this parade was a couple of double-rank rifle volleys, performed in the manner of a Mexican wave, very impressive to be part of, but I often wondered what the locals thought of it. Memories and photo by Brian Roberts.
Coronation Rooms Opening
The picture shows the opening ceremony by Mrs R. H. Back for the Coronation Rooms extension to the Felbridge Institute on 6th June 1958. The extension provided a Committee Room, dressing room and modernisation of the kitchen area onto the Institute which had become the Village Hall for Felbridge. The funds for the extensions had been started by the surplus of £149 from the village coronation committee at the end of 1953. The rooms were finally opened in 1958 when a further £600 had been raised and a grant of £400 received. The hall at this time "provided parking for three cars and fifty bicycles".
Lingfield Silver Band
The Lingfield Silver Band opening the Felbridge Jubilee Fete 2002 with the National Anthem followed by 'The Felbridge March'. This was a score written by Edward Hunt in the late 1800's, dedicated to Dr. Charles Gatty (Lord of the Manor of Felbridge). It has been arranged for the Silver Band by Roy Fuller and was heard at the fete for the first time in over 100 years. The Band entertained the audience during the rest of the afternoon.
Lake View Drama Club
Some of the surviving members of the Lake View Drama Club put on a show to entertain the audience with a collection of songs mainly from the 1950's. An intersting reflection is the fact that as seen at the top of this page, the 'club' was a major fundraiser for the Coronation fete, 50 years earlier as well as performing a Variety Show on the evening of the Coronation Fete.
Felbridge Tapestry
The Felbridge Tapestry is over three feet across and was made by local groups to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. The scenes and the artists are clockwise from top left: St. John's Church (Ann Morley representing the Church), Whittington College (Ann Tucker & Marilyn Marshall representing Felbridge Rainbows, Brownies and Guides), Evelyn Chestnut (Dorothy Harding & Jean Roberts representing the Felbridge History Group), The Star (Molly Murby representing Felbridge WI), Village Sign and Green (Di Giles representing the people of Felbridge), Felbridge School (Kay Probert & Lesley Jones assisting the children of the school), Centre panel (Lesley Jones representing The Fabric Patch). The tapestry now hangs in the Village Hall to commemorate the Golden Jubilee