17th June 2022

Jubilee celebrations in our area, this year and 1953

It was great to take part in the Bishy Road Street Party on Sunday 5 June, although sadly a cold, wet and windy day, unlike this week. We had to tie our display panels down with string to stop them flying away, and positioned stones strategically to anchor the coronation photos on the table. However we were thrilled by the response to our displays about the historic shops and pubs of the area - Bishy Road, South Bank, Nunnery Lane and Clementhorpe and now Bishophill. Hundreds of visitors came along to look at them, sometimes queuing, to reminisce about our old photos and memories, and plenty of young people came along too, intrigued by the history of their neighbourhood.

Congratulations to the Bishy Road Traders Association for organising a lovely event for local people to enjoy music, food and drink without traffic.

   

We had put out a request on the York Past & Present Facebook group for any personal photos of street celebrations in June 1953. Thousands of these parties were held over the country, during a cold and wet June. Sweets and chocolate had come off ration in February 1953, with restrictions on eggs and cream lifted in March and April 1953 respectively, but at the time of the Queen's coronation, restrictions were still in place on sugar and butter, and the supply of meat was also regimented.  

We were delighted to attract these photos for our display, and they show how families must have spend much time with limited resources on fashioning special outfits. Here photos feature Caroline St, Drake St, Spencer St, Brunswick St, Colenso St, Hubert St, Lower Vine St, Kyme St and Falkland St, Fenwick St and South Bank Ave.

First of all Drake St, courtesy of Ian Ramsden and Geoff Shearsmith.

   

   

Then we have some from Caroline St, from Ruby Lea.

    

 

She says "the photos feature my Mum, Jean Murfitt (nee Mason), Nan (Florence Mason), great Auntie Eva and Mrs Atkinson, Caroline Street chip shop. I was a Coronation baby." 

Pam McLoughlin provided a programme and photos from the party held in Lower Vine St.

    

   

The photo above shows some of the mums who organised the Lower Vine Street Coronation Party: Mrs Daniels, Mrs Doran, Mrs Holliday and Reenie (?) and Pam's mum top left, Kathleen McGarrigle.

Maggie Smith produced a lovely photo of the Spencer St party (top) and Laura Pethullis provided the Brunswick St party photo below.

    

There was a party held in the school canteen on the corner of Price St (photo below from Geoff Shearsmith).

Lynda Hunter sent the next photo from Hubert St, with Nana Hudson who lived in Windsor Street, and two of her grandchildren Lynda and Carl. You can see the back of Argyle Street in the background. 

    

Beryl Long sent us the programme for the street party in Kyme St and Falkland St, and we also have one from Nunmill St

    

Jackie Andrews provided this image first from the top of Fenwick St and below Jean Thompson sent in the Colenso St party.

   

Lesley Holland has this one below of the Nunnery Lane area followed by a photo from Sheila Whipp from South Bank Avenue