Manor Road Coronation street party

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The Whitehawk estate in the 1970s: click on image to open larger view

Image reproduced with kind permission of The Regency Society and The James Gray Collection

Dressed as a pack of cards

I can remember the Manor Road and Manor Way kids dressing up as a pack of cards for the Coronation party. We had to include the Manor Way kids as there were not enough of us in Manor Road to make up a pack. I was the ten of spades. My Mum was on the ‘Coronation Committee’ and I remember that she wrote to Cow and Gate, who at the time, advertised themselves with a baby wearing a crown. They sent her some cardboard crowns for the Kings and Queens.

Sugar still on ration

All the crowns they sent had Cow and Gate written on them and I can remember a group of Mums cutting out jewels from spare crowns, and sticking them over the ‘Cow and Gate’ logo. Afterwards we had a party in Manor Road field. There was a cake made and donated by a baker in Upper St James’s Street. The cake was of Windsor Castle on a hill and the Royal Coach and horses proceeding downwards. All done in marzipan and icing! It must have taken them a while to collect the coupons as sugar was still on ration.

Do you remember?

Does anyone else remember this party? Were you one of the pack of cards? Maybe you have got a photo of the party? If you can share your memories of this time, please leave a comment below.