I was one of a dozen Girl Guides from Hindhead, Surrey selected to line The Mall on June 2 1953. It was with great excitment and some trepidation that on 1st of June we boarded the train for Waterloo at Hazelmere station. Arriving at Waterloo we were met and escorted to the Girl Guide HQ on Buckingham Palace Road.
We received a briefing on what what we were expected to do the following day, and a warning that it would be a very early start. Despite the warning there was still lots of exited chatter in the dorms before lights out.
We had all seen in the cinemas newsreels of the great victory parade of 8 years before. Although at the time the country was still in deep austerity and with bitter sweet memories, many of the comentators had praised past achievements and were stressing their hopes for the future. However, this was different, the feeling in the dorms was palpable, it wasn’t just hope for the future it was EXPECTATION that we were at the dawn of a new golden age – we were the new Elizabethans, and we were there!
It was a very short night’s sleep and for us, along with some other Guides a restless one. After a quick breakfast and dressed in our navy blue raincoats we were escorted the short distance to the Victoria Memorial in front of the Palace. It was a still, misty morning – 6am. As we took our places on the memorial we could see directly along The Mall and that it was already thronged with people, many of whom had spent the whole of the previous night there and were still wrapped up against the cold. We sat on the steps clutching our sandwiches that we had brough from home for our lunch.
Eventually we could hear the approaching bands with pipes, drums and marching troops. The mist began to clear. We took our raincoats off and suddenly it was all noise and colour. Standing on the steps we had clear views of a young and radiant Queen in her wonderful coach leaving the Palace and setting off along The Mall to vigorous flag waving and thunderous cheering.
After the procession had passed we were instructed to take up new positions in a single line along The Mall to await the return of the newly crowned Monarch. It was a long wait with some rain but we all had the realisation that we were taking part in a wonderful, historic occasion.
Finally it was straight back to Waterloo staion for our return to Hazelmere and then home to Hindhead. By 5.30pm I was sitting in a very crowded room of a family friend watching reruns of the coronation on their TV, and of course relating my very personal experiences of that very special day.
The picture of Gillean and David that you see above was taken in 2016 .