One York resident is particularly looking forward to the King’s Coronation next month – as it’ll bring back memories of an adventure 70 years ago.
Brian Kesteven, 87, has been sharing the story of how he cycled more than 100 miles to see the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
In 1953, the year of the Queen’s coronation, Brian, who lives at Ebor Court care home in York, was 18 years old and studying at the Bath School of Art.
As other students travelled home for the summer to watch the coronation on their families’ television sets, Brian and his friend, Brian Matthews, decided they wanted to experience the coronation too.
Neither of the teenagers’ families owned TVs, so they came up with a plan – they would cycle over 100 miles overnight, from Bath to Westminster Abbey.
Brian said: “Originally, we set off on a tandem bike, but after I was crowned in the face by a tree branch, we decided to turn back and ride separate bikes.
“We started on the A4 towards Reading, stopping on the side of the road for breaks and listened to the nightingales sing.
“On a couple of occasions, lorry drivers allowed us to cling on to the side of their vehicles and dragged us along. We cycled through the night and arrived in London soaking wet.”
The two Brians left their bikes at Victoria Station, along with their luggage, and walked to Westminster Abbey.
“We thought we’d managed to get there quite early to avoid the crowds, but we didn’t! There were crowds of people everywhere,” our Brian said.
“I remember seeing sailors in the crowds trying to find all the pickpockets and grabbing them when they tried to get away.
“I saw Winston Churchill and the Indian Cavalrymen arriving at the Abbey – all their headgear had practically collapsed due to the pouring rain.
“When the Queen’s carriage passed it was difficult to see through the rain, but it was a fantastic day, and one I will never forget. I have always treasured that memory.”
A day later, Brian and Brian cycled back to Bath to continue their studies and tell their friends all about the journey they had undertaken.
Now, Brian is looking forwarding to watching the coronation of King Charles III at Ebor Court, where the care home is inviting the community to a street party style celebration for all to enjoy.
Shane Talbot, the Home Manager at Ebor Court, said: “Hearing Brian tell the tale of his coronation experience was incredible, and we can’t wait to see our local community to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III!
“We’ll have a barbecue, live entertainment, games, stalls, face painting, a bouncy castle and a live stream of the coronation. Its set to be a fun-filled family event not to be missed.”
The celebration will kick off at noon on Saturday 6 May. All are welcome, and there’s no need to book.