Ring for the King
On the morning of Coronation Day, 6th May 2023, a band of ringers at St Mary the Virgin, Buriton, rang a peal of Cambridge Surprise Minor.
Not only did they ring for a solid three hours they achieved 8th place on Bellboard listing of highest-ranking peal performances, of bells rung over the Coronation weekend around the World. Above them were the likes of Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s Cathedral and six other Cathedrals.
They received fantastic reviews from all in the village who had the privilege of hearing such magnificent ringing.
Memories of previous Coronations
Audrey Lawrence, aged 98, remembers the 1953 Coronation of HM the Queen. She was one of those who came to a Coronation celebration at St Michael’s Church, Paulsgrove. You can read more about her memories here.
At the Church of the Good Shepherd, Crookhorn, these beautifully decorated cakes were on display, and eventually eaten, for their live screening of the Coronation. They also had a Coronation quiz and word searches for both adults and children, along with several regal-themed colouring sheets to keep the little ones fairly quiet during the solemnity.
In St Lawrence, on the Isle of Wight, parishioners held a coffee morning and a special evening service lay led to celebrate the coronation with refreshments afterwards on Sunday 7th May. And, in the village, Mr Sam Twining planted a walnut tree at the village hall.
The Big Help Out Event at St Faith’s Church, Leesland, Gosport, had over 45 litter pickers helping out around Gosport, and finished with a shared picnic and refreshments in the church. For some people on the team it was their first time coming into the church – one family had lived in the road for fourteen years and had never been in before! On Coronation Saturday they opened the church up to be a wet weather venue for local street parties, as well as for anyone alone looking for a warm space, WiFi and hot drinks.
