Second Elizabethan Age                    Alan Payne   Date

Girls growing up in 1950s Box often had the name Elizabeth, popularised by the Queen. Left to Right, Back row: Elizabeth Bell, Ann Bell, Margaret Lambert, Elizabeth Grayson, Andrea Mortimer. Front Row: Diana Brunt and Karen Griffin (courtesy Margaret Wakefield)

Nostalgia often gives a distorted image of history, often throwing up heroes and “Golden Ages” with the benefit of hindsight. For those residents born after the Second World War, the only sovereign they have known is Queen Elizabeth II. The period since 1953 has been a long and varied time, one of the only stable factors being the queen herself.

In October 1951 the Conservatives returned to power promising to lift unnecessary wartime controls. It was a hopeful, new start for life after wartime deprivation when sweets came off rationing in February 1953. Coronation events didn’t start well, however. Following the death of Elizabeth’s father George VI in February 1952, there was a period of mourning before any festivities but this was nearly further postponed by the death of her grandmother Queen Mary in March 1953.
 
There were unreserved celebrations on the very morning of the coronation when the British Commonwealth celebrated the report in The Times by Jan Morris (then known as James Morris) announced the climbing of Everest by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Box’s Coronation Celebrations, 1953
It was little wonder that residents of Box were keen to enjoy the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on 2 June 1953. A village committee was set up in February 1953 and the vicar Rev Lendon Bell reported the arrangements at Box Church: special prayers on Trinity Sunday 31 May, a youth service on the Monday, the eve of the young princess’ coronation and a special Coronation Service for all members of the parish on the actual day with Communion at 8am and a parish service at 10am on Tuesday 2 June 1953.[1]  This service was expected to last 40 minutes followed by the televised broadcast from Westminster Abbey thanks to a television set loaned and installed by Leslie and Nigel Bence in the church. The 1950s sets were small and the volume poor, so silence was requested by the congregation which was limited to 100 people. The vicar was able to report that the televising of the Westminster Abbey service was unique and enabled by the achievements of science to view and hear the solemn service.[2] One small problem was the difficulty of hiring a television set as so many of the public wanted to see it in their own homes.
 
The weather on Coronation Day 2 June didn’t play ball, being dull, cold and overcast with a chill wind. Nonetheless, probably the largest fancy dress procession ever seen in Box, made its way from Bargates to the Rec with 150 children and adults behind the Melksham RAF Band.[3] In the afternoon 440 children sat down for tea on the Rec, Box School children put on folk dancing under headmaster Mr Arthur Adams, Bill Peters lent three ponies for rides, and the Scouts and Girl Guides entertained with a beacon on high ground after dark.

Festivities on The Rec in 1953 Left: Ossie Butt, Les Bawtree and Cyril Witter Nichols and Right Ossie Butt (courtesy Ken and Maureen Boulton)

A new approach was made to dressing up with prizes for decorated cars, bicycles (male and female separately) and prams (with an extension to decorated tricycles and doll’s pram for children). There was also a new idea with decorated houses in the village. In order to pay for the prizes, entrants were asked to pay an entry fee varying between 3d and 1 shilling.

Dorma on Box Hill received a special mention for decoration (courtesy Eric Callaway)

There were prizes for the best dressed villagers, tea for OAPs, comedy football and cricket entertainment, then a whist drive and dancing in a marquee on The Rec. Free souvenir mugs were distributed to children aged under 15 years.

Programme of events in Coronation Weekend 1953 (courtesy Eric Callaway)

Silver Jubilee, June 1977
The 25th anniversary of the accession of the Queen was an altogether more ambitious event, reflecting changed economic and social circumstances in Britain during the 25 years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. The celebrations were less religious in content and a much longer and altogether a community celebration. The Radio Times produced a souvenir edition and described the event as A jubilant burst of celebrations .. all over the country officially marks the start of Jubilee Week revelries.[4]
 
In April 1977 the event was launched by Prince Charles (then an unmarried man of 28) to raise funds for a National Jubilee Appeal (now called The Queen’s Trust) in support of young people’s work in low-income communities. There were several innovative events: a series of bonfires throughout the country, an illuminated River Pageant along The Thames, and jubilee television shows such as Jubilee Songs of Praise and for children Jubilee Jackanory. Amazingly in the same year, Liverpool became the first English side to win the European Cup, Virginia Wade won Wimbledon and Red Rum triumphed for the third time in the Grand National. Box and the whole country prepared to party.

​(All silver jubilee photos courtesy Phil Martin)

Box’s contribution of £350 (today worth £2,500) to the National Appeal was covered almost immediately by donations from two local firms, Spafax Ltd and Flaxyard Ltd, a real estate developer.[5] Their generosity freed house-to-house subscriptions and event donations of £1,800 (today £13,000) to be used on a local project, the conversion of the Boys’ Club in the Market Place into the Jubilee Youth Centre. The story of this building demonstrates just how much Box had changed in the 1960s and 70s. In 1967 the building was at the centre of teenage culture with the Box Boy’s Club, a skiffle group, jiving and even rock-and-roll. Its most adventurous event was the visit of pop star Frankie Vaughan to the clubhouse on 27 October 1967.[6] A decade later, these rebellious teenagers were married parents and respectable citizens and new uses were deemed to be needed.

Box’s Celebrations, June 1977
Box parish council led the way in planning village celebrations.[7] They put out a request for houses to be decorated with Union Jacks and bunting. The agenda for the celebrations comprised:
Friday 3 June: Decoration of houses, street parties start, evening disco and selection of a Jubilee Queen
Saturday 4 June: Flower Festivals in the Church and Selwyn Hall, Home Produce & Flower Show in Selwyn Hall, sports on The Rec, Pig Roast and an informal dance (barn dance) in the Selwyn Hall
Sunday 5 June: Combined Church service and Exhibition in Box School by local clubs
Monday 6 June: Carnival Floats, children’s tea party and Grand Jubilee Ball in the evening
Tuesday 7 June: Additional Bank Holiday but left as a free day for recovery and watching the royal procession in London.
 
The coordination of events was through a central steering committee led by Rear-Admiral Desmond Nixon of Ashley supported by sub-committees for each event: Barbara Higgens publicity, Penny Newboult secretary, Margaret Rousell treasurer. Every event had its own organiser: Box headteacher Russ Allbrook responsible for sports, Roy Hodges for exhibitions, Phil Lambert for games and Ron Banks for the Jubilee Ball.

Street parties closed many roads after getting relevant permissions, possibly left Box Hill and right Bargates (courtesy 1977 brochure)

For many, the first event was a local street party planned for Friday but, for other people, permission for street closure was spread onto different days to allow road flow. In the evening the Jubilee disco in the Selwyn Hall danced to the music of Cyril’s Roadshow attended by about 200 people. Sally Bridger was elected Jubilee Queen with maids of honour Anna Gelsthorpe and Tina Hyde.
 
Saturday offered exhibitions when the churches and Parish Council Offices put on flower festivals and a Flower and Produce show was organised in the Selwyn Hall, the first to be held since 1956. Sports events were held on The Rec with the usual mix of It’s a Knockout, children’s games and tug-of-war on an endless rope, involving most spectators. To ensure it was well cooked, a pig roast started cooking at 11am which continued until the first slice went to the Jubilee Queen at 8.15pm, signifying the start of the barbeque, followed by a Jubilee Barn Dance at the Selwyn Hall.

Above Left: Pig Roast and Right: Barn Dance in Selwyn Hall (courtesy 1977 brochure)

The weather became cloudy and cool on the Sunday. Despite this, a combined open-air church service attracted 500 people on the Sunday. Supported by the Over-60s choir and the Marshfield Brass Band, there were processions from youth organisations around The Rec. For those who wanted a quieter time, Box School exhibited artefacts of royal events from Box’s history records.

Above Left: Flower Festival in Ditteridge Church and Right: Royal Exhibition at Box School (courtesy 1977 brochure)

The Grand Procession was the centrepiece of Monday’s events. The parade started at Bargates and processed along the High Street. You can see below the procession going past The Shed between the school and Hardy House.

Above: Photos of the Grand Procession, showing the wooden shop between the school and Hardy House
Below: Preparing floats and Left: Lap of Honour (all 1977 brochure photos courtesy Phil Martin)

The village was so justifiably pleased with the outcome that they produced a special brochure, from which these details were taken. For a four-day celebration in variable weather, it was a great community event.

Queen Elizabeth has had several jubilees, silver in 1977, golden in 2002, when the Saturday night dance was promoted in Box as a "Red, White & Blue Bash", diamond in 2012 and, of course, the first British monarch to have a platinum jubilee in 2022. We haven't detailed the later events as we cut off the historical details at approximately the millennim. Each of the events has been celebrated in a different way, championed by different residents and reflecting an ever-changing society enjoying increased affluence since the Second World War. One of the few constants has been the use of The Rec for communal gatherings.

References
[1] Parish Magazine, June 1953
[2] Parish Magazine, July 1953
[3] The Wiltshire Times, 6 June 1953
[4] Radio Times, 4-10 June 1977
[5] Parish Magazine, June 1977
[6] Parish Magazine, October 1967
[7] Parish Council minutes, June 1977