How Brimington and Tapton celebrated the last Coronation

In this blog we look at how Brimington celebrated the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. This is an edited extract from our Brimington a Tapton Miscellany 6 article.  

In 1953 things were very different to the rather low-key local celebrations this weekend.  There was a full programme of events planned on the day locally and across the country.

The Festivities

The Coronation festivities in Brimington centred around a planned carnival and sports day on the actual day of the Coronation – Tuesday 2 June – the front cover of the programme is illustrated above. A committee was formed to co-ordinate events. Carnival prizes were given for fancy dress; ‘decorated lorry, dray or tableaux,’ decorated cycles and prams ‘or any wheeled vehicle’ and others. There was also a window dressing competition. The sports programme was planned to commence with races from approximately 6 pm. The whole was to culminate in a firework display and lighting of the Coronation bonfire at 10.45 pm.

This was the first time that the general public would be able to view the Coronation itself on television in the Chesterfield area, in their homes. Nevertheless ‘a large screen television set had been installed in the concert room of the “Red Lion” and many, according to the Derbyshire Times  saw the Coronation there.’ The Brimington programme was planned for the afternoon, so that television viewing could take place along with localised events, such as street parties.

Weather intervenes

The day itself did not go entirely to plan, with wet weather curtailing events. The Derbyshire Times, in its special Coronation edition of the 5 June, reported that the planned sports were postponed until Saturday 13 June, but the carnival was held as planned and was ‘a great success’. Each of the four areas (Brimington Common, Wheeldon Mill, New Brimington and Central Brimington) responsible for their own bit of the Coronation event, supplied a section of the carnival, after a parade throughout the village, this was to be judged on the Monday evening of the 2 June at Eastwood Park, ‘but owing to rain this had to take place in the Central Schools’ on Devonshire Street.

Over 1,200 children were entertained to tea, each child receiving a commemorative mug and refreshments. Later over 250 dancers attended a Coronation carnival dance at the Church Hall. A shop window display was held.

Bonfire

Another casualty of the weather (which the Derbyshire Times did not report correctly) was the bonfire and firework display. Designed to round off the day, these two events were actually postponed until the 13 June. The sports were also rescheduled to that same afternoon. These were preceded by the ‘Whittington Choral Drums’ giving a marching display. The ‘Womens’ Novelty Band from the Central Ward’ also paraded around the village, collecting for the ‘Old Folks’ Association’. Mrs Kelly, wife of the Central School’s Headmaster, presented the prizes.

A treasure hunt was also held. That night a crowd of over a 1,000 witnessed the lighting of the bonfire (by Councillor Mrs H. Mitchell) and firework display.

Before the day

Events before and immediately after the actual day were presumably designed to aid fund raising, generate community interest and actually celebrate the Coronation.

Typical in the run-up were beetle, whist and domino drives, dances at the Hollingwood Hotel, the Central Schools and the Adult School.  Perhaps typical of the dances was one arranged at the Hollingwood Hotel on Wednesday 13 May by the Brimington Common Committee, where there was dancing to Jack Fazackerley’s Band.

The sports day, eventually held on the 13 June, was actually the culmination of qualifying heats, where the winners and runners up of the four Brimington electoral wards would compete. About 200 children from the Station Road area took part in just one of these qualifiers at the ‘Chesterfield Sports Stadium’ (the greyhound racing track), in the middle of May alone. A week later the preliminaries continued in Eastwood Park, with over 200 children from Central Ward.

There were activities on the Saturday before the Coronation. Brimington Common and New Brimington districts held their own sports, carnival parade and fancy dress. At New Brimington the Brimington Boys’ Brigade Band led the carnival procession, which was followed by a sports programme and an evening concert by ‘The Versatiles Concert Party.’ There was also a fancy dress and the best decorated house competition. Mrs Fox of Princess Street won the first prize; Mrs Rolt of Burnell Street the second and Mr B. Elcock of Queen Street the third for the best New Brimington decorated house.

On the Sunday evening a concert at Eastwood Park by the Staveley Works Band could be enjoyed, or an ‘open-air community hymn sing-song’ at New Brimington.

The whole, not just in Brimington but across the whole of the country, created something of a crescendo of excitement. Even those under school age were not forgotten, with souvenir mugs available for them to be collected from the various schools on the Friday and Saturday before the Coronation day. The Tuesday of the Coronation itself had followed the Whitsun Bank Holiday.

After the day

There were other events held slightly after Coronation day, including an ‘old folks’ treat’ for Brimington Common on Saturday June 6. The same day the ‘old folk’ of the Station Road area were ‘entertained to tea’ at the Great Central Hotel. 10 days later nearly 100 people aged over 65 from the Central ward were treated to a coach tour of the Derwent Dams.

On the 9 June a Coronation Tea was held for about 30 children and adults at Beckett’s farm, Manor Road.

Brimington funding controversy

The celebrations were not without controversy, particularly regarding funding.

In December 1952 Brimington Parish Council were reconsidering its plans to levy an additional rate for the celebrations. There was some comment (presumably meant as reassurance to rate-payers) that the council were not going to hand over the money – some £130 – to the Coronation committee to spend ‘willy-nilly’!

As late as April 1953 the council decided to reduce the budget for the firework display by 50% to £25. Alderman Birch, who was tasked with finding a suitable site for the bonfire, found one opposite the cemetery on land owned by Chesterfield Rural District Council behind Wikeley Way.

A team effort

The Derbyshire Times of 19 June 1953 lists those associated with the Brimington festivities. Those responsible included Councillor Mrs. H. Mitchell (Chairman), J. Hill, W. Everett, J. Birch, J. Carter, Mrs Birch, L. Cantrell and M. Brough, representing the parish council, Mr Roadley who ‘with willing assistance built the bonfire’, Mr Ashmore, Mr Newbold and Mr & Mrs Heathcote. Representing the schools were Mr Kelly and Mr Clarke. The secretary was Mr V.W. Southby. The village through its area based committees came together with a great effort overseen by the committee.

Despite the weather and the advent of television, the Coronation Committee, like many up and down the country, no doubt did its best to mark the Coronation of 1953, which many hoped would be the start of a new Elizabethan age.

Not forgetting Tapton

Tapton, by then part of the Borough of Chesterfield, held more localised events, no doubt as the area was somewhat spread out.

A ‘radio comedian, Tony Scott and his wife’ judged a fancy dress parade held at Markham’s sports ground on Piccadilly Road, on the Monday Whitsun bank holiday. This was part of a party for children living on Piccadilly. Sports and tea in the Markham work’s mess room followed. The Mayoress presented the fancy dress prizes, after which a bonfire, laid by the children, was lit by Councillor I.P. Hancock. According to the Derbyshire Times ‘Celebrations continued until 2 a.m. on Coronation Day, with a barrel of beer, mineral water for the younger members, roast potatoes and sandwiches.’

Tapton House was the venue for a fancy dress parade of children from Tapton Vale and Brimington Road. All participants received a prize. After tea, Coronation mugs, containing sweets, were given out.

Residents of Tapton Terrace held their party the Friday of Coronation week. About 70 attended the event held in the canteen of Edward Eastwood Limited. Residents of Top Row, Piccadilly, had a party in the Co-operative Hall, Elder Way, where the children received souvenirs, ice cream, sweets, apples and mineral water.

Unrepeatable?

The whole events programme, particularly those in Brimington was undoubtedly a team effort. Given the change in society and technological advances since 1953, a local event on this scale will probably never be repeated.

If you’d like to find out a little more about the 1953 Coronation festivities in Brimington and Tapton please see our article ‘How the Coronation of 1953 was celebrated’ in our Brimington and Tapton Miscellany 6 (2014). This is not currently available online but can be purchased from us or, we believe, borrowed from Brimington or Chesterfield libraries.