Coronation Day 1953 may have been cold and wet in the capital but in our area it was a case of sunshine and showers – and that was certainly not going to stop the locals from celebrating!

Among the events organised to mark the day were street parties, fancy-dress parades, carnivals, church services, community singing, children’s sports, dances and a fireworks display.

In Farnham, the carnival drew so much support they had several categories for entrants and people lined the streets in their hundreds to see the procession pass by. The town also crowned its own coronation queen as did Ewshott, while Seale got into the carnival spirit too with its own parade.

In Alton, people enthusiastically organised their own street parties for youngsters and 1,700 souvenir books were handed out to schoolchildren.

At Anstey Park there was a children’s fancy-dress parade, children’s sports and a display by the fire brigade. Community singing took place in the Public Gardens in the evening and a carnival dance was held at the Assembly Rooms to round off the day.

Fancy-dress competitions for children were also popular in Tongham and Farnham, while senior citizens tucked into a cake bearing the face of the young Elizabeth II at a coronation party for ‘old folks’ in Crondall.

And in Tilford a tree was planted to commemorate the day.

Among those taking part in Churt’s celebrations was a young Herald stalwart, Carl Obert – the newspaper’s sports writer for more than 40 years – who got in touch to point out he was featured in last week’s edition, raising his coronation mug. In his own words he is “the angelic child on the right, wearing a beret!” He is pictured on the right with his cousins, the Clark children.

Peeps hopes other readers may recognise themselves as children, or maybe recognise their parents when they were younger, in the photos we are showing this week. Please contact us with memories you may have. Email us at [email protected]