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Title: BLACKBURN CORONATION GALA DAY

Reference number: 8710

Date: 1953

Sound: silent

Original format: 16mm

Colour: bwcol

Fiction: non-fiction

Running time: 21.56 mins

Description: Amateur footage of the Blackburn Coronation Gala Day to mark Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953, including shots of the coronation ceremony of the first Queen, the procession through the town and sports and dance events.

Newspaper cutting from the West Lothian Courier 5th June 1953, p.10, has detailed further information about this event.

Shotlist: (0.00) [blank] (0.02) Pageant Characters. Queen - Christina Anderson. Chief Lady-in-waiting - Marion Thomson. Other ladies-in-waiting - Margaret Mitchell, Joan Campbell. Pages - David Thomson, John Kerr. Fairies - Margt. Leslie, Margt. McLachlan, Mary Mooney, Mary Cook, Lorna Miller, Helen Brady. Flower girls - Edna Mitchell, Mary Baxter, Catherine Lawrie, Helen McCulloch, Margt. Graham, Margt. Smith. Herald - Samuel Ovens. - c/u Queen Christina Anderson outside and in garden - shots of participants getting out of car, brass band marching down street - shots of Queen and retinue coming out of cars and entering building - shots of Queen and procession coming out of Welfare Hall - gvs crowds gathering on football field, Queen and retinue mounting dais (2.37) gvs of dais, Queen on throne, man speaking into microphone - shots of crowning ceremony - herald reads proclamation - c/u shots of participants - shots of Queen presenting gifts to retinue - men and women approach and greet Queen (5.56) Queen leads procession across sports field - gvs crowds on field and in street - gvs Scouts and Guides performing country dancing on dais decorated with Union flags, accompanied by two accordionists - c/u shots of watching families and children (8.06) shots of procession coming down road led by 'Blackburn Coronation Gala Day' banner, followed by pipe band, Queen and retinue in carriage, other participants in cars, youth organisations, brass band, schoolchildren, pipe band - posed shots of groups of local people, baby in pram - c/u shots of bunting and decorations (11.01) gvs of crowds and police officers on main street, watching as procession passes - posed group shots of men and women, organisers and participants, all wearing rosettes or badges (12.39) gvs running race on sports field, shots of participants and officials - posed shots of groups of girls and boys - gvs races and shot of boys - gvs crowd, c/u shots of boys - men's race in slow motion, participants - brief shot of announcer with microphone - group shots of boys, girls, young women - men's race in slow motion - series of men and women's races in slow motion, shots of participants - shots of children's novelty races - gvs of crowd (17.50) shots of girls performing Highland dancing on dais, accompanied by piper - shot of boys on street with camera equipment - group of girls - shots of girls performing maypole dance - shot of men's sprint race and participants - c/u shots individuals and groups, cars leaving with participants - gvs boys' race, fair and showground caravans in background, crowds surround race winner - shots of girls' race (21.45) brief shots of Queen presenting trophies - THE END (21.56)