Coronation Day In Shillingstone Plus Other Memories

A Memory of Shillingstone.

I can remember Coronation Day in Shillingstone, the weather was not settled and there were showers, I can remember watching the crowning of the Queen on a TV which was in Mrs Fudge's house at the lower end of the village. In the afternoon we had a parade of fancy dress and walked to the recreation field where a fete was held, with skittles and side shows. During the evening some of the villagers went to Okeford Fitzpaine hill to look at beacons that had been lit across the Blackmore Vale.
Shillingstone folk were always ready to celebrate in style.
The parade started from the village cross, this is where as boys we would on some days buy a loaf of bread and a bottle of fizzy drink from England's the baker and sit on the cross and eat the loaf. A Mr and Mrs Mowlem lived in the cottage near the cross, it was called Maypole Cottage. Mr Mowlem's son Bob worked at Sloper's garage in the  village, and when I left school I worked there as an apprentice, also working there was Peter Antel, Harry Starkes, Mike Henstridge and Joe Robbins.
It was a great time serving an appreticeship.