Making contact
What about your memories? Following the sudden unexpected announcement of the death of HM Queen Elizabeth II we witnessed scenes that had not been performed for 70 years. Immediately prior to her sudden and extremely sad death I had come down with Covid. As I was recovering and watching the various broadcasts it caused me to review how my family tree records reflected my own family’s relationship to such events of mourning, celebration and activity, and where were these family tree records.
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I realised, to my shame, very little was included. I started putting pen to paper to rectify the situation. My parents both served, and married whilst in the RAF, during World War II. They will have both sworn allegiance to King George VI. In 1951, I was born in Peckham, London, the youngest of three children. My father became a serving Metropolitan police officer. Why did I never ask Dad if he was on duty at the King’s funeral or the Queen’s Coronation? I know he received an award, but don’t know what came of it or what it was for. Would the Police Archives have evidence?
We lived not far from the Old Kent Road, our route into Central London. Did we take the bus into the city to see the royal events? My eldest brother was adept at dismantling any piece of machinery. He rightly joined the Army, the R.E.M.E.
I think our parents hoped he might one day learn how to put the various items back together! I remember as a teenager I was very proud to know he was serving under the umbrella of the United Nations in Cyprus. He would always iron his own uniform, especially to perfect the front trouser crease, clean those sparkling black boot caps, and wear them all with extreme pride.
Churchill died in 1965. I was by this time attending grammar school in New Cross. At 14, I do remember going into the city streets and stretching to see as the coffin went past. No Smart phones, just my fading memory. Everyone around us was so excited and keen to get a good view. The magnificence of St Paul’s Cathedral was the setting for the initial memorial service following the Queen’s death. It reminded me that every 10 years a service was held there by the Haberdasher’s company remembering our school’s founder, Robert Aske, Master of the Haberdasher’s company. Seeing all the heraldic costumes reminded me too that each November during the 60s we would attend the pageantry which was The Lord Mayor’s parade. We had a relative who had access to an office on the route of the parade and we would sit on the balcony window and watch the event, waving union flags and in awe at the pageantry before us.