CORONATION DAY IN CHRISTCHURCH

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27056, 3 June 1953, Page 11

CORONATION DAY IN CHRISTCHURCH

Procession A Notable Event WIDESPREAD CELEBRATIONS AND JUBILATION The Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth was fittingly celebrated in Christchurch yesterday. Recognition of the religious significance of the Coronation was made at a service in the King Edward Barracks in the morning and, three hours later, the joyousness of the occasion was marked by a procession through the streets of the city. Both the procession and a fireworks display in Hagley Park in the evening attracted tremendous crowds. Judged by any standards the 1953 Coronation procession must rank high. It was symbolic of the Coronation. It had colour. It had life. It had obvious relation to the event in the far off capital of the British Commonwealth. It was a procession with which those who took part and the organisers had every cause to be pleased. It will long be remembered as one of the notable events in the 103 years of Canterbury provincial history. The procession was the major event in a day of widespread

The weather for the procession was fine and the easterly wind was not as keen as on Monday when the Armed Services parade was held. An hour before the procession was to move off, many thousands had lined the route. Streets wdre jammed with cars and the traffic was very heavy, yet it was considered as not being equal to that for the Centennial procession. The civic ceremony in Latimer square which followed the procession was brief. Immense crowds were in the streets leading to the square. 1 Not since 1920 when the Prince of ; Wales, later King Edward VIII, was ■ given a civic reception there, has tne ; eastward side of the city seen such an assemblage. . A memorable day was , an equally memorable t night, me weather was good to Christchurch for its full day of Coronation, celebration. Fireworks in North Hagley Park : were followed by a coloured water display by the Christchurch Fire Brigade, while, on, Cashmere Hills, boy scouts lit a chain of bonfires. The Hagley Park event was seen by a huge crowd, all roads leading to the park being blocked with traffic. Any doubts about the success of th procession were soon dispeuea. n w composed of entries greater in number, more elaborate, more apposite, and more decorative than the organisers could have hoped for. The names of firms which floats were on the peoples ly>s. Lac was distinctive in design and exec - tion. The floats had novelty, tooobvious was the thought that haa gone into the designing and so gr the neatness of the execution tnar the thousands lining the P°Vje w moved to express their admiration a their thanks in cheers and handTwo '’newcomers—and highly corned—to a Christchurch procwsion were the Canterbury Wertory Theatre Society and the Aged reop Welfare Council. . . - r - The Repertory Theatre members presented not only a novelty. dux novelty handsomely dressed. *ncy portrayed the period of most colourfully. Attired in the co - tumes of that age, the members entered into the spirit of courtliness and of dignity. were delighted with the originality, l e freshness, the brightness and with tne happiness of the court jester and tne tankard-swilling Falstaff. . A highlight of the procession was the depiction by supporters of Age People’s Welfare Council of the career of two persons from the age of eign to 80 years—and beyond. Antiques from stables and museum were brought out in yesterday's sunshine t warm the hearts of the old, who became reminiscent, and the young, who could not believe that such were ever used to transport sucn People in the days before they n knew Christchurch. The tableau were delightful in every sense ana ended with a sparkling J? I ®?®, humour and a reminder to all tnar, n they were lucky, they might also be

faced with a personal problem of age. As the procession went by, thousands, exuberant and grateful, broke the lines and followed it. Everyone was happy. Everyone had seen a procession such as they had not expected. Everyone knew the significance of the floats, .the message they had to gj ve — o f pleasure at the crowning of Queen Elizabeth—and gave visible demonstration of loyal emotions.