Right Royal Memories - win signed copies of Lesley Pearse's new book Without a Trace and other goodies

I can remember at the age of 5 , we were living at my grandmas house, all the windows in the street were decorated with union jack buntings, I can remember sitting on my grandmas gate waving a little union jack flag, later there was a street party with sandwiches, trifle and cakes. Later that day , I managed to poke the stick of the union jack flag up my nose.... I can remember the blood on my new red white and blue dress that my mum had made for me , how I cried, later that night we went to a neighbours house they had a TV.... we sat like statues imaging we were princesses . It was a very happy day.

In the 80s I saw Princess Dianna in Canterbury and was cheeky enough to climb on a photograher's ladder to take her photo much to the annoyance of the returning photographer - made Dianna laugh though!

Back in the 80s, me and my wife attended Royal Ascot when the Queen walked by prompting my wife to follow, not realising that the Queen Mum was following close by! Nearly a major incident, but thankfully a collision was avoided!!

Queens Jubilee. Stunning setting, music, feel good factor & delicious picnic provided for all of us.

I well remember the Queen's coronation. It was my sixth birthday and I was 'confined to barracks' as I had a bad case of German Measles! I also had to miss the long awaited street party but did get a plate of goodies sent to the house.
Dad had invested in our first television and we all sat in a darkened room huddled round an extremely small screen. We had flags and bunting outside the house and we even had red white and blue fairy lights. I still have my coronation mug that we were all presented with at school and a replica coronation coach which was a gift from the street party.

I remember Princes Charles and Diana's wedding. I believe we all had a day off and all the family sat around the TV all day, just running into the kitchen to make a drink during adverts! For me it was the first memorable occasion I could remember and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only time I have seen a royal was when Prince Charles opened the National Garden Festival in Wales and we happened to be there that day.

Princess Margaret came to a dedication service at our Church. I was in the Brownies who formed a guard of honour round the entrance to the Church. All I reported back to my Mum was that she wore a big fur coat and had so much make up on that you could stick your fingers in it! Oh, the naivety of an 8 year old.

I remember Prince Charles and Diana's wedding's Wedding too. I was abroad on holiday at the time. Watched it all on the TV. Diana in her silk dress with the puffy sleeves and long train. Absolutely beautiful.

I was 10 when the Queens coronation took place. I remember coming home from primary school in Buffalo, New York and watching it on our black and white TV.

I do not remember the Queens coronation, but I do remember that all the children in our school were given a 'Coronation mug' we kept our toothbrushes in mine!

The Duchess of Kent came to visit our town in the 1970s, all the streets were decorated with bunting. We also watched the royal weddings on television. Our favourite has to be William and Catherine's

I remember the Coronation. We got a television, well my mum told everyone that was why we got it, my dad always said it was to watch Stanley Matthews in the Cup Final. On the day two sets of grandparents,two aunts and uncles, a cousin, my brother and me and my mum and dad crowded into our living room to watch it. Children had to sit on the floor of course. I had a coronation ball which was red, white and blue and there was a tin of coronation toffees passed around. I got bored and fidgetty and would have liked to go out to play with my ball, but of course it was pouring with rain. Eventually I went and sat in the back porch on a cold concrete floor and bounced my ball at the wall. I also got a mug at school, I have just passed it on to my daughterin law who has started a small collection of Royal commemorative china.

On the day of Charles and Diana's wedding, my policeman husband had to do a 15 hour day in the middle of London.
I had 3 children covered in chicken pox, in front of the TV.
Happy days.

I was at work in a small Grocery shop on the day Princess Anne married Captain Mark Philips. The Boss, (who later became my husband), brought in a little television for the staff to watch, and set it up in the shop. I really don't know why he opened the shop that Thursday morning. We didn't have one customer through the door. The wedding was magical, as all weddings are.
As for the Queen's Coronation, I was eighteen months old and my big cousin was four. We took part in the fancy dress competition for the children of the town. My mother and aunt mad us costumes from silk and crepe paper. My cousin went as the crown, and I was dressed as a rosette. I have the black and white photos as a reminder. Of course I remember nothing of the day at all, I was much too young!

My own christening took place during the same week as the Queen's Coronation in 1953...the Bible and Prayer book given to me by my godmother was a commemorative one and was beautifully made and illustrated.

I remember, as a young mum, celebrating the Queens Silver Jubilee...I was pregnant with my second child (no revealing scans then so at that point I didn't know that I was carrying my first daughter!) and a nearby cul de sac had arranged a fabulous street party.

The close had tables from end to end and we all brought food. It was a lovely warm day... my son, who was toddling around manfully under his own steam at going on for two, was the same height as the tables and had never seen so much food all at once - his eyes were like saucers as he worked his way around the edge of the tables trying to take it all in ( and trying to remember not to touch till he was told he could!)

We had speeches, songs, games for the children and various 'tipples' for the adults, not to mention an unending supply of cups of tea. The atmosphere was so friendly and happy, everyone watched everyone's children, the sun shone and life was good. It was a really lovely day to be part of.

I have since enjoyed Her Majesty's Golden Jubilee (celebrated in 2002, the same year as I was 50)...who can forget Brian May belting it out on the Palace roof?

Then more recently, the Diamond Jubilee in 2012 which was an especially memorable year for me and mine as Beth, my youngest grandaughter, was born on 03 June, during the afternoon amidst all the royal celebrations...and I was 60 three weeks later, so out came the balloons and party poppers all over again, plus more champagne, of course!

Being born in 1952 has given me a great excuse to 'share' The Queen's many celebrations over the years!

Remember a party at the pub for children with a petting zoo, balloon animals made by a clown and party games to celebrate wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.

Silver jubilee street party with fancy dress. 3 streets came together and each household brought food.

Diamond jubilee street party organised by local pub with competitions, food, even got on the local TV news.

I was lucky enough to win tickets for the Prom at the Palace for the Golden Jubilee. We had lovely picnics provided and there was plenty to drink. Unfortunately the number of loos needed was underestimated and we had the unlikely experience of peeing in the bushes in Buckingham Palace garden. Helpful footmen held up the ropes and told us which direction was Ladies and which Gents!
On a less earthy note, the highlight for me was when the National Anthem was announced and the audience, without instruction, all turned to face the Queen whose grandstand was at the back and sang to her.

I remember Princess Margaret visiting our school when I was in the sixth form. We had to waste endless time practising curtseying – what the little ones referred to as "doing the Princess Margaret". Needless to say they were bitterly disappointed by the unsmiling diminutive middle-aged figure dressed in a dark colour when they had been expecting a sparkling ball gown, curly blond hair and a crown. When HRH arrived we were lined up along the corridors and curtseyed in batches in an absurd sort of reverse Mexican wave. We had to eat our packed lunches in the late morning and out of sight while the guests, staff and, possibly, the Head Girl and Deputy dined in style at a more normal hour. When she departed – more compulsory clapping and bobbing up and down – she left behind the presentation purse for whichever of "her" charities we had collected the money for. All together a completely wasted, boring and unsatisfactory day – both for her and us. I can't imagine why she came there in the first place.

I remember Charles and Dianas wedding.
Myself and my brothers were all schoolkids at the time - and we were eagerly looking forward to a big street party we were having with all the neighbours.
The day of the party arrived...........
Balloons, bunting, tables and chairs were all decked out in the street, food on tables piled high on plates and big jugs of wonderful coloured juices.
None of us could go ....................we had all woke up with chicken pox !!!

I remember when I was about 7, the Queen was going through our area en route to the city centre. My mother (who was from Southern Ireland, but loved the Royal Family) got all of us ready to go to try to catch a glimpse. Just as we were leaving the house, our dog gave birth to three puppies and so we were delayed. We got there just in time to see the Royal car whizz by (they must have been late). Very disappointing. Five years ago, the year I retired, I was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace. It was very exciting going to London with DH. We were given an dress code and it was lovely choosing an outfit and seeing all the other ladies on the day in their hats. We saw the Queen and Duke at close quarters, there were bands playing and we were free to walk around the gardens and a small part of the place. We had dainty little sandwiches and chocolate cakes with little crowns on them. Unfortunately towards the end of the afternoon, the heavens opened and it didn't just rain, it was an absolute deluge. The chairs were all blown around the garden and we had to all run inside for cover. We were soaked to the skin.
The weather just got worse and the party had to be abandoned. Just my luck It was a great day though and it was only towards the end that it was spoiled

I was nine on Coronation day, I remember it well. We were lucky enough to have a television, and my parents had invited some friends round for the day,I did watch some of it, but have to admit , I did find some of it a bit boring, I can remember playing cricket in the garden with my friends brothers, who were home from boarding school, so they were very good, and I wasnt! But I could run ,in those days
I can remember thinking how beautiful the Queen looked, and how young,and how she managed to carry the orb and sceptre, with that wonderful crown on her head, for what seemed an awfully long way.
My mother had put on a good spread,there wasn't a street party where we lived, but we had a very substantial 'tea'
It was a memorable day in so many ways. It's good to see the colour films of it, that beautiful coach, and all those lovely horses. Definitely a day I will never forget.

I have already posted on the 'blog thread' about my memories of the Coronation.

We were in London for the Jubilee and remember the Queen coming out onto the balcony to wave to the crowd. There were bonfires on the hills and generally a lovely atmosphere.

My other memory is of my son-in-law openly lusting after Pippa when we were watching Prince Harry and Kates' wedding. He just laughed when I told him off!

I remember watching the coronation of the Queen at the house of a lady in a nearby street. The room was full of people all crowded round the small black & white television. Watching the television was a treat, as not many people had a television in those days.

In 1956 the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh did a whistle stop tour of parts of Scotland. I had been gala queen that year so was asked to present her with a bouquet wearing my gala robes and complete with crown, sceptre and maids.Duke of Edinburgh was somewhat bemused as I approached until it was explained to him why I was dressed so. My mum and dad were invited to the ceremony but like many famillies at that time we didn't own a camera so we had no photos to remind us of the occasion. Shortly after I received a package from East Lothian's Chief Constable of Police and it contained large photos which of his officers had taken. Mum was ecstatic

Pathe News had been following the tour and I think the way I was dressed caught their imagination as shortly after the visit it film of the tour was shown in cinemas throughout the county. Those were the days when Pathe News was shown in between the little film and the main film. My mum went to see the film "Carousel" 7 times just to watch that little snippet of the Queen and Prince Phillip talking to me.

Nearly 50 years later on a visit to Scotland BBC news happened to mention their new film archive setup So out of curiosity I wrote to them . So now I have on CD a film of the Royal visit which includes my little "Queen meets queen " piece.