RAIN certainly threatened to dampen the spirits for the celebrations in Craven on the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Tuesday, June 2, 1953.

Although the weather picked up for the weekend celebrations, Coronation Day itself was marred by heavy downpours with people sheltering in doorways to watch the procession in Skipton.

It was also a time of change with television setting a ‘new pattern for ancient ceremony’ commented the Craven Herald.

Under the strapline ‘loyal hearts defy the rain’, the Herald reported how crowds of ‘vast dimensions’ had watched the ‘grand and glittering processions’ at in London before and after the ceremony at Westminster Abbey.

And, it differed from all other coronations in that the ‘new television era’ meant millions of ‘ordinary’ people could watch it in their own homes, or in the houses of their friends.

“The Abbey service and procession was televised by the BBC, whose arrangements were a triumph for British skill and organising genius,” gushed the Herald.

However, the weather was not kind, even in the capital where ‘frequent heavy showers fell throughout the day and with only occasional bursts of sunshine to relieve the cold air.’ Coronation Day began with the announcement that Mount Everest had been conquered for the first time by Sir Edmund Hillary and Bhotin Tensing, and had ended with the Royal couple appearing on the floodlit balcony of Buckingham Palace with the Queen switching on an ‘elaborate system of illuminations’.

In Craven, many events were cancelled or postponed because of the weather - although it did clear up for the weekend.

In Skipton, the coronation procession set off at 5.30pm and took place in pouring rain. The planned concert, dancing display and other attractions in Aireville Park were postponed for a day, but were cancelled altogether after the bad weather continued.

Life in Craven virtually stood still or more correctly, sat still, on Coronation Day said the Herald. Every house with a television was crowded.

In Skipton Town Hall, the over 65s were invited to watch the coronation on three television sets. One set projected the pictures onto a 4ft by 3ft screen attached to the front curtain of the stage.

Two smaller sets catered for the other half of the audience. The hall was always about three quarters full throughout the day.

Some limped into the hall on crutches or sticks, but without exception they showed an ‘eager but quiet’ concentration and there was ‘hardly any fidgeting’.

Brian Stott's uncle and aunt Minnie and Benny Robinson owned a radio and television shop in Skipton, and his father, Donald Stott, fitted televisions for the first time in many homes as coronation fever struck.

Brian said: "Most readers of the Craven Herald will be seeing the first coronation in their lifetime.

"I’m 66 years old and it is my first one although our four month old grandson hasn’t had such a long wait. In these days of instant digital communication it will be possible to view the coronation of King Charles III anywhere in the world in superb colours on a myriad of devices at the very moment it is happening.

"Things were so much different in 1953. Not many families had a television, the “wireless” being the source of home entertainment. Those that had television had only one channel, The BBC , with black and white images.

"My father reminisced many times with me over the years about the 1953 Coronation and his television involvement with it for the people of Skipton.

"My aunt and uncle owned a radio and television shop - Robinson’s at 9 Sackville Street Skipton - now Chico's Pizza Takeaway.

"My father aged 22 worked there too as television and radio installer and repairman . In 1953 only a few people had televisions, but the coronation meant everyone wished to see it and this spiked a huge rush of people wanting to buy or rent a set.

"So my dad was extremely busy in the weeks leading up to the coronation installing sets into houses all over town. Of course as people hadn’t had a set before this entailed putting an aerial on the chimney on the roof and dad and Uncle Benny were constantly on roofs all over town .

"The shop sold or rented out a huge amount of sets in preparation for the day. Of course not everyone could afford a set, a 14 inch - yes 14ins not 60ins or more as we have now. Bush TV retailed at £65 in 1953 which in today’s terms was £1,400, the average wage then being about £6 a week. Really good HD colour televisions can be bought today for less than £300.

"As not everyone could afford a set there was a lot of communal sharing of sets with neighbours inviting people round to watch . The BBC record that 8 million people tuned in at home with a further 10 million crowded in to other people’s houses and 1.5 million watching in cinemas and halls. The number of television licenses increased from 763,000 in 1951 to 3.2million by 1954."

Mr Stott added: "My father was always immensely proud of the part he played in bringing the coronation to the people of Skipton. It was his busiest work period ever.

"Sadly we don’t have a photograph of Robinson’s Shop on Sackville Street but if any readers of Craven Herald have one it would be lovely to see it. My cousin Angela , Minnie’s daughter worked there too as did my sister Janet as a Saturday girl in 1970’s. The shop sold records too so lots of Skipton people will have been “pop-pickers” there.

So hopefully everyone will enjoy watching King Charles III on tablets phones televisions and think about the previous Coronation and the experience it created for everyone."