Bunting, King Charles masks and cake as Brits enjoy Coronation street parties
A historic weekend saw Brits pack out towns and cities around the UK wearing blue, red and white to show their support for King Charles' Coronation.
Street parties and celebrations popped up around the country alongside parades of bunting as people enjoyed cakes, sandwiches and snacks.
Millions of people tuned in to watch our newest monarch and the Queen be crowned, with thousands more showing their love for the royals.
Birmingham
During a Coronation Big Lunch in Birmingham, samosas, masala chai, Union Jack cupcakes, strawberries and chocolate cake were just some of the treats on offer as part of the Handsworth Community Cohesion Day.
There were also activities laid on for families of all ages, including rock painting and steam engine train ride.
Six teachers open up on 'difficult' strike decision - and why they are doing it
The event was part of a weekend of celebrations including live music and entertainment in the area.
Handsworth Community Cohesion Day“Handsworth is very much reflective of the city of Birmingham - its a very ethnically diverse city - here we have a big Sikh community and it was important to do something to mark the Coronation as a truly inclusive celebration,” says Amrick Singh Ubhi, Director of the Nishkam Centre, a Sikh based organisation was responsible for the event.
Amrick adds: “The Big Lunch is essentially what Sikhism espouses every day - the act of ‘langar’ - feeding and serving the community so it made absolute sense that we organised a special event around the Big Lunch - bringing everyone together.
“As with our langar, everyone eats the same and is treated the same. The food is important because our religion believes you have to eat well - to do well.
"It is celebrating the Coronation of His Majesty, but we are also taking the opportunity to promote services to improve cohesion in the community with our partner organisations.
“Over this weekend our volunteers have been preparing food and distributing it among the homeless as we do every week.”
Lord Lieutenant Sir John Crabtree OBE
Guests Hardepp Kaur and Daya KaurJas Panesar, 47, is here with his family. “Its important to celebrate what is community and because that's its what it is all about - people looking after each other. It’s a difficult world. I think King Charles understands that - I do feel he is more engaged than people think he is.”
David Wade is a proud Handworthian and was excited to attend today. “When I was told about this cohesion day I thought what a brilliant ideas. There are lost of different communities in Birmingham, but we don’t often all get together. It’s exactly what we need - different communities coming together. I wish the King all the best. At the least, the Coronation has brought us all together, and this is what we really need.”
Hardeep Kaur,42, has travelled from outside the city to attend today with her children - son Harvey, 14 and six year old daughter Daya. Both mum and daughter have had their faces painted with a Union Jack flag in celebration.
“I was at my local gurdwara when my friend told me about this was happening and I knew I had to come with kids,” she says.
Dominic Raab could resign to avoid investigation into bullying, accusers fear
A Big Lunch event was held as part of the Handsworth Community Cohesion Day in Birmingham“We are celebrating our culture and also British values. I’m proud to be British and to be a Sikh. We should celebrate the positives of being British. “
Rakesh Soni, manager of Soho Road BID who has organised activities for the rest of the Coronation Weekend adds, “Celebrating the King as a unifying presence was an amazing opportunity for us to celebrate the powerful community spirit of Handsworth in action.”
Violet Owen from Birmingham Baha’i Community says she feels optimistic that the new monarch will do what he has set out to do - bring faiths together.
“The Sikh community organised today, but we also have the Muslim community here, the Christian community, Baha’i Community, the Afro Caribbean Community.
“King Charles has his heart in the right place, he has the right ideas, I just hope he’s strong enough to withstand any informed tradition that are kept alive for the wrong reasons.
Birmingham celebrated in style“For example at the Coronation, he originally wanted to say the defender of faiths but was forced to say defender of the faith. It was very specific.”
Sir John Crabtree, Lord Lieutenant for the County of the West Midlands and The King’s representative, attended the Coronation, “It was very Christian service, “ he says.
“But right at the end, at the King’s request, he asked to meet all leaders of seven faiths, and they all spoke to him in unison, and the clear message was that it is a modern Britain with a new King who obviously has a deep faith but has always had an interest in all faiths. He sees himself as not just as a defender of the Anglian faith but a defender of all faiths, and I’m sure that’s is what we are going to see going forward.“
The ceremony was an emotional moment for John. “I was sitting in Westminister Abbey just as my grandfather, Reverend Herbert Crabtree, did in 1953, attending the Queen’s Coronation. He was a humble man, and what he saw in his life led him to the church.
“He joined the Unitarian faith, which was nonconformist and by 1953, he was head of the church, so was invited to the coronation. I still have his invitation from that time.
“Today is a celebration of one nation regardless of heritage and background. As a Brummie and speaking for all Brummies it is what we all believe in and know is a fact, and we need to making sure that is the position nationally."
Cardiff
Children at the coronation picnic in the grounds of Cardiff Castle (Jon Rowley)Hundreds of people gathered in Cardiff Castle’s grounds to keep the celebrations going for a second day.
The grass may still have been soggy from Saturday’s rain, but that didn’t stop the fun at the Welsh capital’s Coronation Big Lunch.
Cheese and pickle sandwiches seemed to be food of choice, along olives, hummus and crisps to snack on. There wasn’t a coronation chicken filling or quiche in sight.
Two-year-old Eden Handford enjoyed a peanut butter butty while wearing a crown she had decorated with the help of her parents, Belinda, 40, and Matt, 39.
A royal coronation picnic was held (Jon Rowley)Belianda said: “We’ve not come far, just from Newport.
“It’s the first Royal event like this in our lifetimes, so I thought that it was important to experience it and to teach Eden about our history.”
Entertainers dressed as rabbits, pigeons and bumble bees skipped by entertaining the crowds and bringing smiles to the faces of all the children – and their parents.
Eight-year-old Leya said: “I’m having loads of fun having my picture taken with the dressed-up characters and making a crown.”
Her granny, Shanta Varsani, from Cardiff, added: “We’re having a great day, it’s nice to get out after the rain yesterday.
“Children need to know about our history and the royal family.
Morecambe
The seaside town celebrated with a record-breaking street carnival and picnic (James Maloney/Lancs Live)Sporting a union jack suit and a King Charles mask, Dave Simpson is celebrating the coronation his way - unveiling a joke toilet throne he’s created especially for the occasion.
Sitting down on his gold-painted, recycled seat, the 56-year-old plumber grins as he says: “This is what today’s for isn’t? Having a few laughs and a lot of nice food, we’re with our family and friends, marking this historic weekend.”
In Morecambe, Lancs, the historic promenade was home to a mile-long line of these picnic tables, decked with 7km of bunting and hoping to beat the 5,000 record they set last year for the Jubilee picnic.
Up to 10,000 people were expected, with thousands of sandwiches being shared and 1,000 slices of a specially commissioned Coronation Cake, cut by the town crier, given out.
As the sun beamed down, guests - a mixture of local families and volunteer groups - arrived laden with bags, armed with paper plates, cake stands, tea urns and plenty of fizz.
Morecambe residents celebrate with Union Jack flags (James Maloney/Lancs Live)Mum Natalie Jones, 42, wanted to be here with her five children, including, six-month-old, Annie. “It doesn’t matter how you feel about the royal family,” she says.
“Today is about our values as a country, working together at a time when community is really needed.”
By mid-afternoon, with a dazzling Coronation Carnival Parade in full swing, complete with drag queens, drummers, Brazilian dancers and Egyptian performers - the red, white and blue crowds are loving every minute.
Back at his table, Dave - known as Daft Dave to his mates - who has travelled here from nearby Lancaster, is getting ready to tuck into homemade banoffee pies, a King Charles caterpillar cake and trays of nearly cut sandwiches.
Showing off an ermine-style cloak, plastic crown and union jack dress, his wife, Louise Simpson, 53, a consultant, says: “It’s history being made and that should be celebrated. I’ve always loved
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
