Branksome Hall - Slogan Yearbook (Toronto, Ontario Canada)

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The Branksome Slogan Braiiksomites

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30 The Branksome Slogan This is the official Canadian party to the Coronation of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth 11. They are all wearing maroon blazers with a royal crown on the pocket, below which is written ' ' Canada in gold letters. This uniform was to be their passport. It opened the homes and hearts of countless people all over Britain who felt the same loyalty and grati- tude that the Commonwealth countries feel toward the British people. — pause — Music: The Mountains of Mourne. Announcer: After a good crossing, a few icebergs and a few cases of seasickness, the boat came within sight of Great Britain. In the dis- tance a haze surrounded the rolling hills of Ireland; the jagged coast of Scotland appeared ahead. Then the great liner started up the Clyde. Tiny villages gleamed whitely on either side of the river, and great swarms of gulls swooped down periodically to pick up any garbage thrown into the river. In the late afternoon the ship glided into the harbour at Greenock. The next week was a busy one . . . never in their lives had the girls seen and done so much in such a short time. The whole week sped by so quickly for these young people and they had so much fun. When they boarded the bus for Chester their first thought was to return to Scotland as soon as possible. On the bus, they were discussing the past week ' s events. Girl 1 : People certainly did all they could to give us a good time, didn ' t they? Girl 2 : Our hostess even gave us a pot of cocoa and a plate of cookies and cakes every night. Girl 3 : With things like that its no wonder that we ' ve all gained weight. Girl 1 : Remember the garden party we were invited to at Holyrood Palace, where we were introduced to the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton ? Girl 2 : That was the rainiest day yet ! Girl 4: We did have a wonderful time! Remember Luncheon at Walpole Hall with the Commonwealth Sea Cadets ? Girl 3 : Don ' t forget the Scottish Dance with boys from Edinburgh ' s Fettes School. It was so much fun doing the Scottish dances. Girl 2 : The places we saw were so interesting — Forfar, Glamis, Cortachy Castle, the birthplace of James Barrie, Edinburgh Castle, Rosslyn and the Scott Country. Girl 4 : Yes, it was a truly wonderful week. I do love Scotland. Announcer: The bus sped on toward Chester, through the English Lake District. After two days in the quaint old walled city they were on their way to London. Here the girls met the rest of the tour, and the entire party of nearly two hundred Canadians stayed in Chigwell, a camp near London. On one of the first days they were privileged to see the Changing of the Guard from inside the gates of Buckingham Palace. The students saw so much during the next two weeks and did so

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32 The Branksome Slogan many things. There was an all day trip to Windsor; then a trip to Stratford where they saw The Taming of the Shrew . Hampton Court, Kew Gardens, Cambridge — all these. In London they attended a Coronation service for the youth from all over the commonwealth. It was a stirring service in which the Archbishop of Canterbury spoke to the groups. Music: Coronation Bells March. Announcer: They saw ' The Young Elizabeth , a Coronation play; Glori- ana , a Coronation opera; ' The Glorious Days , a Coronation musical comedy, and a Coronation concert in the Royal Festival Hall. They lunched at the Royal Empire society, had tea at Canada House, were shown through Beaver House, headquarters of the Hudson ' s Bay Company, and given tea there. They had lunch at Harrods ' , visited Goldsmith Hall where they saw ' The Treasures of Oxford , had a boat ride down the Thames to see the London Docks, toured the Tower of London and watched the Trooping of the Colours. It was truly a full two weeks. — pause — Music: Coronation March. Announcer: Coronation Day arrived. A cold drizzle was setting in when our Canadian students were awakened at three in the morning. As they stumbled over one another in the semi-darkness trying to get warmly dressed and ready to leave by 4 a.m., they were all musing on the wonder of being here for this, a most momentous day in the history of the Empire. This is what they had travelled three thousand miles to see — the crowning of a young Queen. Out into the buses they piled and were driven to Eaton Square in London, walked to Victoria Square in front of Buckingham Palace, and there, to the left of the Mall, were their seats. They were wonderful seats. The girls could see the palace and if they looked carefully through binoculars they could see the two royal children at the nursery windows. It was six o ' clock when they arrived — still not quite light. All day it rained and shone alternately. The rain was rather unfortunate for these youngsters as they were in open stands, but somehow dis- comfort was forgotten. First of all the Grenadier Guards who lined the whole route on both sides came out. They looked so brilliant in their red tunics. Unfortunately whenever it rained they had to cover up the splendour with cloaks. There was a wonderful spirit around this section. It was nearly all filled with Canadians and the next block to the students was a section of the Canadian Navy. The band played opposite them and they livened up some of the time by lusty singing. The Procession passed on its way to the Abbey. Troops, carriages of dignitaries, royalty, more troops, bands and then the great gold coach carrying the Queen and her husband to her coronation. The service was broadcast to the waiting crowds and as the solemn vows were made, all felt such a love, loyalty and admiration for their