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

About 15 years ago the Queen and Philip visited our town. We waited for hours to see them. They drove by in a flash. We did see the Queen wave though.

I remember well the Queen's Silver Jubilee, she visited my local area and everybody was so excited, waving flags. We had street parties and the whole community joined in, all ages had such fun and it was a real celebration. I was just a small girl but the memories will stay with me forever.

I too have vivid memories of Coronation day as a 5 year old. We had one of the first TVs in our town so loads of people were squashed into Grandma's house where we lived to watch the little magical screen in the corner. Later in the day we had a street party and Grandma had made me this beautiful Fairy Queen outfit. I felt so special! A day never to be forgotten.

Our street party for the Silver Jubilee. I remember feeling very excited and quite spoilt with all the food that was to be had.

Some time after the Coronation, the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh toured Scotland. My uncle was the Provost of our town and had the job of welcoming the royal party. My mum was enraged because he didn't ask my rather dainty little sister, aged 8, to present the bouquet but instead gave the job to a pretty little blonde of the same age, daughter of one of my aunt's cronies. The limo went past, giving us only just enough time to catch a glimpse of the couple and receive one of HM's famous waves.

My son, Colin, competed in the 1986 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh , and won a silver medal, he was in the changing room recovering after his efforts when the Team Manager rushed in " The Queen wants to meet you.. " panic stations to get a shower and changed and out to meet Her Majesty, in about ten minutes flat. He said she was very gracious , he has also met Princess Anne on several occasions and found her to be knowledgeable and friendly.

In 1977 my friend and I slept on the pavement on the Mall for the Queens Silver Jubilee. The atmosphere was amazing but we did not get much sleep! However it was all worth it to be so close to the procession the next day. Wonderful

I remember a going to a party at a social club for Charles and Di's wedding. It was a lovely sunny day, they did a barbecue and we sat on the grass with the children running about in the sun. All the children were given a mug with a picture of Charles and Di on it. My daughter was three.

My other Royal occasion was when the Queen and Prince Philip visited the hospital were I worked. Some of us were asked to line the main corridor so they walked past me. It was lovely to see her. I never realised how petite she is. The Prince stopped and chatted to people near me but thankfully passed me by. I would have been too nervous to speak!
It was a lovely day but tinged with sadness as the hospital had been renamed after Diana and it was hoped she would open it officially. Sadly she died shortly before but the Queen came some time later and unveiled a beautiful stained glass window in Diana's memory.

Never mind Lesley's blog and book; where did she get that lovely jacket??

A wonderful street party for the Queens Silver Jubilee, everyone was happy to geta day off work regardless if you were a Royal supporter or not, food was plentiful, drinks flowing, neighbours who had lived in the same street for years but only ever given each other a plolite nod now laughing and chatting like old friends and I looked into the eyes of my then husband across the table and had a lightening moment, I thought "I hate you, absolutely detest the way you have treated me like a doormat for years, and I am going to get a divorce and break free". I then had to play the dutiful wife and smile and chat for the whole day so as not to spoil anyone else's day until I could get him alone!! I am glad to say I did break free, I married again very happily and so did he to a lovely woman who he was more suited to and treated very well. I always remember the singing and laughing around me whilst inside I knew I had a bombshell to drop!

Charles and Di - fairytale wedding - such a shame things weren't as they seemed and it was destined to fail.

I remember a massive street part for the queen's jubilee

2nd June 1953 - Coronation Day - I was 7. I'd been involved for some time in advance of the long-awaited day as my dad was on the committee organising our local street party. On Sunday mornings I'd go with him as he called at houses in the area to collect the weekly subscriptions from people to pay for the party and I was pretty excited as the day grew closer.

I went to dancing classes and my mum had entered me for the talent competition which was to take place during the street party. I was to sing the coronation hit song of the time, "In a golden coach there's a heart of gold, riding through old London town". On Coronation Day it was cold, grey and raining, so I was told to change the words of the song from "The sun will shine down over old London town" to "The rain has come down over old London town". After some damp games, activites and three-legged races down the road which was closed off for the party, the talent competition started. It took place on a stage which was set up at one end of the road. I'm pretty certain there was live music and that someone played the piano to accompany my song. I was very suprised to learn I was the winner when the results were announced, and was presented with a Prudence Kitten glove puppet which I still have somewhere.

In the evening there was food and a fancy dress party for the children in the school hall. Jelly, pink blancmange and fairy cakes followed by a lot of running about afterwards. I was very fond of, and proud of, my Coronation ankle socks which I wore that day. They had gold crowns around the tops and they almost certainly came from Woolworth's.

For Prince William's birth, I was on honeymoon in Greece - I was on a boat trip and one of the party announced it when he had bought a newspaper - everyone cheered

For the coronation, my father bought my grandmother a television. All the neighbours came to watch what I thought was a very boring event.
My little brother, then aged 4, managed to acquire a small glass of sherry which he drank.
Later that evening the grown ups were disturbed at their celebrations by him complaining that I kept waking him up to check that he was still alive and hadn't died and gone to hell!
I attended a convent school and was convinced that drinking, wearing makeup and playing whist were mortal sins which lead to hell!
On being reassured that he was too young to have committed a mortal sin, ( under 7) he was allowed to sleep!

I remember it well, it was my 8th birthday and one really looks forward to birthdays at that age.

We did not have a TV in those days but a friend of my mother's did so it was over to her house for the day, no time for birthday celebrations just a box of chocolates to take with me which I later realise ere probably just to keep me quiet.

It was a chilly, wet day, Dot, my mother's friend had two boys so my sister, myself and the two boys could either watch the TV with the adults or play out in the garden in the drizzly rain.

We were not very interested in watching TV all day long I remember playing in the garden but it was not much fun. No street parties either where Dot lived, a rather posh area, so I have always remembered what a miserable birthday that was.

My memories go slightly further back to the funeral of King George V1.
I was aged 10 at the time, and I can clearly remember taking the tube to London and standing in a very long queue holding my father's hand, waiting to go into Westminster Abbey to see the king lying in state. It was very cold, quiet, and sombre in this endless queue, which eventually led to the coffin, guarded by the soldiers at arms. I remember being awestruck by the sight and chill of the huge and cavernous Abbey, the draped coffin, and the sound of shuffling feet.
My father served in the Royal Army Corps and was obviously very patriotic and thought highly of King George. He wanted to pay his last respects, and felt it was important for me to witness the occasion too.
It certainly made a lasting impression on me as I have never forgotten it.

The Coronation was the first time any of us had seen a television. It was in a church hall. We all sat in rows, and the television was too small for most of us to see anything. I was four years old, and my sister was three months old. Got the mug somewhere, I think.

My parents, my fiancé and I went to the house of a friend who was lucky enough to have a television! Black and white of course! I was hemming up the bottoms of my bridesmaids dresses as I was to marry that summer. My husband-to-be had machined all the long seems for me! My bridesmaids dresses were gold with red velvet sashes and I carried red roses, the girls had red and yellow flowers - all to reflect the Coronation theme!
A great year 1953 not only the Coronation - and my wedding - but - Edmund Hilary climbed Everest (the first man to do so) - England won the Ashes - and Gordon Richards won the Derby! Ancient history maybe, but I remember it well!

I remember Princess Margaret coming to our village. Well, passing through would be more accurate. There had been a big build up to the event and I was told that if I was a good girl, I would see a real princess. Imagine the anticipation! I imagined her to look like something from a story book. Surely she would have a beautiful long pretty dress? She would have fairy wings and maybe a magic wand. She would be wearing a crown and have a beautiful smile. But I was bitterly disappointed because the car shot past and all I saw was a lady in a brown coat and a velvet hat. She didnt even wave.
I cried and cried.
My first big disappointment.

I remember when Prince Andrew married Sarah Fergusson.At the time my elderly Grandfather was a Chelsea pensioner, and the couple left from Chelsea Barracks where he was stationed to go away on honeymoon. A short time later Sarah attended the Royal Hospital's founder's day ceremony at which I was present.
My son was only very small when they got married and I remember him being given a specially commissioned commemorative sugar spoon from his playgroup.

The marriage didn't end too well, but the spoon survives !!

I was one month old when the Queen had her Coronation. All children were given a bar of chocolate. My Mum admitted that she ate mine!

Yes I remember the Coronation. There must have been 15 people packed into our neighbour's house as they were the only ones who had a TV. The TV was huge, but the screen was tiny, the picture grey and the curtains were closed, so we could actually see what was going on. There were endless cups of tea. I remember the singing of Zadok the Priest, but it was a long time before I could put a name to the music.
On the day of the Coronation, Everest was conquered for the very first time, so even as a very small child I knew this was a very important day.
We had a party, which meant we sat at long tables outside for sandwiches, jelly and blancmange. We waved our Union Jacks, and every child had a toy model of the Coronation coach and horses and a book by Richard Dimbleby entitled Elizabeth Our Queen. I still have the book, but the coach and horses were long ago swapped for a more desirable toy.

I remember walking along Portsdown Hill one day with my husband when we saw a motorcade coming towards us. As it passed a hand could be seen waving to us, it was the Queen and Prince Philip on their way to Portsmouth for some royal function. It was quite a surprise!

I remember Saturday 6th September 1997. We were setting off to ride our tandem from home in Lancashire to Land’s End as the second leg of an End-to-End ride. We had ridden from John O’Groats to Scorton, had several days’ break and were now setting off for Land’s End.

We hadn’t been keeping up with the latest news and were astounded to find the roads deserted. Lancashire, Cheshire, Shropshire were all eerily silent, Then we realised: it was the day of Princess Diana’s funeral and everyone - except us - was following the service on television. So I will always remember this day, not just for the funeral of a much-loved royal lady but also for our chance to ride 115 miles in a single day on our tandem.