MORE than a century ago, Dunstablians were getting set to mark another Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Back in June, 1897, they were celebrating Queen Victoria’s 60 years on the throne.
It was a little before my time.
But luckily, the Gazette gave an account of the celebrations on a national holiday day to mark the jubilee.
And earlier this year, extracts were highlighted in the Dunstable & District Local History Society newsletter.
The Gazette report began: “Queen’s weather was the comment on everybody’s lips.”
Despite recent inclement weather, the jubilee day “put on its best appearance”.
The Gazette reporter wrote: “Never before had the ancient borough looked so gay. Flags, banners and streamers were here, there and everywhere.”
A feast was provided in the Town Hall, for the “old folk”.
Schoolchildren and members of adult organisations gathered outside for a procession along the High Street to the Square, for a civic ceremony with VIPs.
Then everyone formed “a remarkably long and pretty” procession to march to England’s Meadow.
By this time, the heat was “fairly tropical” and many of the adults were tired.
But there was entertainment for the children, and two sittings for tea to cater for more than 700 youngsters.
More games and competitions followed.
Illuminations began to appear towards 9pm.
The reporter said the town began to “take on a pretty appearance”, with “myriads of fairy lights and Chinese lanterns” and the emblem VR everywhere.
And the High Street was spanned by a huge illuminated arch of ornamental gas pipes.
The Sugar Loaf, the Red Lion and the Victoria Bun House were praised for their displays.
And the town’s verdict was that the illuminations “were worthy of the historic occasion”.
Crowds gathered again in the Square, and there was a procession up to the Downs to light a bonfire, led by the Cycle Brigade, with torches and Chinese lanterns fixed to their bikes, and the town bands.
A rocket was sent up as a signal to villages, and at 10pm, bonfires were lit and “away in the distance, at every point of the compass, beacon fires flared up”.
The bands played the national anthem “and from all the hills and knolls... the hymn was taken up and out into the night and back again... floated the strains of that deep, swelling chorus where thousands were joined in singing God Save Our Queen.”
A firework display in the Square went on until after midnight.
Bands played the national anthem for the last time “in the wee small hours”, but the town was crowded until 2am or 3am.
So ended a “never-to-be-forgotten day”.
However you choose to celebrate, have a great jubilee weekend, everyone!
TORRENTIAL rain created a new attraction for 2,500 Beds Scouts at a camp in Epping Forest.
What could be better fun than The Mud Olympics!
The rain poured down before the Scouts gathered at the Gilwell Park camp site, and left puddles and small “lakes” which the youngsters put to good use.
They leapt over swollen streams, skated through puddles like Torvill and Dean and had a go at using the mini “lakes” for water gymnastics.
Happily, despite the rain beforehand, the weekend was actually surprisingly dry and even sunny at times.
The Mud Olympics were impromptu fun on top of more than 100 organised activities, from abseiling to unicycling.
Scouting spokesman Peter Sutherst said that the youngsters cooked half a mile of sausages and half a ton of baked beans, drank 7,500 gallons of liquids – and took home about one ton of Gilwell mud!
ISN’T it nice to see the Dunstable Furniture & Carpets shop giving a new lease of life to a vacant unit, in Dunstable’s Ashton Square?
It looks quite at home there – in fact, you could say it’s already “part of the furniture”!