Brimpton promises Coronation mugs for under 16s

After much deliberation, Brimpton Parish Council has decided to present each child in the parish under the age of 16 with a commemorative mug to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III in May.

Commemorative mugs have been produced for the coronation of a new monarch since Queen Victoria's coronation in 1837.

In keeping with this tradition, the council has committed to designing and producing mugs for 25 children, with more available for purchase by adults at a cost of £10.

Brimpton previously joined all local towns and villages in celebrating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 2, 1953.

On the coronation morning, a service was held at St Peter's Church. Afterwards, the service was televised from the village hall with dancing and entertainment in the evening.

On June 3, two coachloads of children aged 12 to 18 toured the coronation route in London and stopped for high tea at Windsor on their return journey.

Meanwhile, under 12s enjoyed sports in Stonehouse Park along with refreshments provided by the Women's Institute in the village hall, including a souvenir mug filled with sweets – then a rare treat as sweets only stopped being rationed earlier that year due to postwar austerity measures.

Senior residents were treated to an evening dinner in the village hall on June 4, with the under fives enjoying the tea, entertainment and television show on the Saturday afternoon.

Lastly, on Friday, June 5, 1953, up to 450 pupils and staff of St Nicholas School filled the school hall for a coronation service, where the alderman presented the children with blue souvenir coronation beakers, the subject of the latest spring issue of newburytoday's free quarterly Out & About magazine.