CHARLES GRAHAM: Hopes for a right royal knees-up in Wigan

Living on a busy main road as a child, we didn’t have a street party for the Queen’s silver jubilee in 1977 - but most other people seemed to.
By Charles Graham
Published 22nd Aug 2021, 12:03 BST
Updated 22nd Aug 2021, 12:08 BST
A flashback to one of the thousands of street parties held around Britain in 1977A flashback to one of the thousands of street parties held around Britain in 1977
A flashback to one of the thousands of street parties held around Britain in 1977

I clearly remember the whole country caught on a wave of enthusiastic patriotism for what seems, in retrospect, a relatively minor royal occasion, at least compared to a wedding or coronation.

A lifelong love of singing in big choirs was fired by the concert I and 400 other 11-year-olds took part in with a full orchestra and performed before the Duke of Gloucester.

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And I was among thousands crammed into a football stadium to see the Queen and Prince Philip give a regal wave from an open-topped car.

A rather more cynical era has dawned since, especially after several failed Windsor marriages and other scandals but, the patriotism has been seen to return with a vengeance on big occasions like the diamond jubilee.

Now we are being urged to make plans to celebrate the Queen’s 70th year on the throne next year and I do hope its a humdinger of a success. After all this horrible self-isolation, we need a right royal knees-up to get the nation back on its feet.

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Related topics:QueenGloucester