Crowning memory (From Barry And District News)

Crowning memory

A BARRY royalist has cast his mind back to 1953 to recall the pomp and ceremony of the Queen's Coronation.

Fred Davies, of Chilcote Street, was only a young boy at the time, but there are parts of the day that stand out in his mind. He can even remember what was on television, because he still has an original copy of the Radio Times.

He said: "I remember that my grandmother was the only person to have a television in our street. It was tiny, about a 14 inch screen. In fact it was so small there was a magnifying sheet to put over the top of it. But it was such a novelty that everyone in our street piled in to watch it."

Looking back on the big day, Fred remembers getting his present.

He added: "The boys were given mugs and the girls were given cups with pictures of the Queen on. I have a memory of clutching this mug in my hand like it was a prize possession, although its been lost over the years.

"But I can even remember the serial number on our television licence, which we had to get when we bought the television set. It was a magical day."