Wroxall Coronation Parade June 2nd 1953

On the day of Queen Elizabeth II’s Coronation, a fancy dress parade took place in Wroxall village. It was the kind of event that took place in communities up and down the land. In nearby Whitwell, the fancy dress procession was led by the Ventnor Jazz Band, while in Bonchurch a similar procession wended its way through the village to The Maples.

In Wroxall, according to the Isle of Wight Mercury’s reporter, the procession began in the Square, led by the Upper Ventnor Children’s Jazz Band, and made its way to a field off Appuldurcombe Road. There the judges of the fancy dress competitors were regarded as having had a very difficult task. Among the child prize-winners were a shepherd, a yeoman, a pirate and a Scots boy. Adults competed as well, with prizes won by a clown and a Chelsea Pensioner, among others. The clown provided much amusement for onlookers. Entrants to the competition who were not winners each received 6d, a princely sum at the time.

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