Here Tim Neal, of Keighley and District Local History Society, turns back the clock over 80 years to celebrations in the town marking the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
ON Wednesday, May 12, 1937, Keighley celebrated the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in style with an enormous parade through the streets of the town.
The procession was led by the mayor, Councillor Thomas Wardle.
It included Keighley Silver Band, Girl Guides and Boy Scouts, Keighley Concertina Band, the Sixth Duke of Wellington’s Regimental Band, Keighley Salvation Army Citadel Band, three troupes of dancers, and 28 historical tableaux.
It set off from Lund Park at 2.30pm and wound its way through the town to Victoria Park.
The main photo shows the float carrying tableau number six – The Marriage of Henry I and Matilda in 1100 – recreated by Wesley Place Methodist Sunday School.
According to the programme from the day, “the central figures are Henry and Matilda, and Anselm the Archbishop is shown blessing the King and Queen.
Others shown are Edgar Atheling, Matilda’s uncle, together with a Saxon lady and minstrels on the one side and a Norman monk and nobleman on the other”.
The figure in the background on the far left is played by Clarence Rushworth.
The photograph was taken by George A Shore, a popular Keighley-based photographer who simultaneously ran his photography business alongside running a carpet and linoleum store in Keighley market.
Examples of his work exist from the 1930s and 1940s.
The photograph is stamped on the back ‘Geo. A Shore’.
The top picture is the float carrying tableau number five – William I and the Domesday Book in 1085 – recreated by pupils from Keighley Technical College.
“King William is seated with soldiers in attendance.
“Two earls and the two archbishops are standing at either side of the throne. At a table seated are monks and at the far end are three barons, the centre one kneeling before the King”.
The day of celebrations included a thanksgiving service at Keighley Parish Church, followed by a public luncheon at the Municipal Hall.
The menu for the lunch consisted of oxtail soup, steamed halibut and shrimp sauce, roast duckling with apple sauce, and cream trifle or fruit tart for dessert.
If you wanted wine to toast the newly-crowned King then you had to buy that for yourself during lunch.
After the parade came a special tea for residents aged 70 and over at the Municipal Hall, and a funfair, band performances and fireworks in Victoria Park.
The Keighley News of Saturday, May 15, 1937, estimated that at least 30,000 people must have lined the streets to watch the procession go by.
They reported that “on every hand on Wednesday one heard expressions of admiration at the presentations, and the colourful costumes of the characters provided a brightness which combined with the street decorations to make onlookers forget the grey skies above, with the possibility of rain.
“One could not gaze on the series of remarkable tableaux without realising something of the time involved in preparation, especially in regard to the making of costumes. Everybody concerned was to be heartily congratulated on the series.”
The photographs come from an album belonging to Clarence Rushworth, that was donated to the Keighley and District Local History Society in 2006 and is kept in the society’s archive.
The history society has over 10,000 images available to browse on its Flickr site.
More details can be found on its website and Facebook page.
The society’s monthly meetings at Keighley Library are on hold at the moment, but it is hoped to try out some online meetings before the end of the year.
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