Cliff Baughen

Bloxham Broadsheet

JUNE 2003    No.272

 

Bloxham, June 1953 - The Queen’s Coronation

Tom Baughen 1

The Town Crier, Mr. Thomas Baughen announcing the Queen’s Coronation.

The little girls are, from the left - Frances Stevens, Pat Winterbourne,

Vivien Thomas and Jane Clarke.

Tom Baughen 2

Back row, left to right, C Derry, B Morby, A Hosband, G Hosband, R Coe

Front row, C Shepherd, B Winterbourne, T Baughen, F Maule, F Timms, W Lane

  

Bloxham Town Crier

Thomas Baughen was the Town Crier of Bloxham 1887—1918, then his son Thomas took over the role 1918-1939. On Coronation Day, 2nd June 1953 he put on the uniform for the first time since the outbreak of the 2nd World War, to make his last announcement as Crier.

There’s a bell ringing on Little Green! The children came running to see, Mothers with babies in their arms, and Grannies and Grandads came to their doors.

“Oyez! Oyez! Oyez! In the name of Our Sovereign Queen Elizabeth the Second - God Save the Queen. The programme for the Coronation Celebrations, 2nd June 1953 is as follows. School children will have a day’s holiday, there will be a service at 11am in the Parish Church, this afternoon a procession at 1.30pm from Strawberry Terrace through the village. Tea in The Ex Servicemen’s Hall, a Dance tonight and a bonfire at midnight to conclude the Celebrations. God Save Queen Elizabeth”

During the night of 1st June there were heavy storms, but despite the rain the celebrations went ahead. At the head of the procession, the Union Jack was carried by Mr Percy Manning, with his medals pinned to his chest. The Bloxham fire engine was in the parade, drawn by a 1918 tractor, with a brass band playing the music. After the parade, Percy at 73 years of age sat on the fire engine, blowing a long brass horn. There were donkey rides for the children in The Clump and later in the afternoon there was a tea party for children and villagers held in the Ex Servicemen’s Hall, which was decorated with pictures of the Queen and Prince Philip. There were paper chains round the walls and in the middle of the table were vases of flowers, blue flag iris and white lupins.

The ladies from the village did the tea party and each child received a Coronation mug. There was a dance in the hall from eight until midnight, with a huge bonfire in The Clump to finish off with. Norman Rivers had put a big screen into a nissen hut along the Barford Road so the villagers could see the coronation as it happened in London and there were so many people they had to stand. Everyone enjoyed themselves and a good time was had by all.

Anne Williams

(Can you name these ladies who did the Coronation tea? If so please tell us, we would love to know)

 

Bloxham Coronation tea