Tolleshunt D'Arcy - Coronation Year

Film made by Joyce Allingham showing the celebrations in the streets of Tolleshunt D'Arcy for the coronation day of Queen Elizabeth II.

Camera pans over cottages in the village of Tolleshunt D’Arcy. Paintings of the coronation are shown followed by a photo of Queen Elizabeth II. A shot of the church with two old men sitting on a bench by the road. Another shot of the church followed by a sign post for the village and the Union Jack flag flying. A man goes into a telephone box in the middle of the village as a bus drives past. Flags and bunting decorate the village. Two women come out of a shop. One woman gets onto a bike and the other walks away. There is a shot of Tolleshunt D’Arcy Post Office and the postmistress, Miss Blaxhall, comes out under the filmmaker Joyce Allingham's direction. The baker puts up coronation decorations outside his shop and people put decorations on string around the village. A little girl waves a Union Jack flag. Close up of a girl and boy decorating pots using red, white and blue ribbon. Shots of people decorating their gardens. Two people come out of a Co-operative store and a little girl walks down the street carrying a basket. Mr and Mrs Emeny come out of the Thatcher’s Arms and another couple walk out of the front door of their cottage and smile at the camera. A woman wraps red, white and blue ribbon around her bird table and another woman carries a crown on a pillow. Camera pans across the street to show the villagers decorating. Children play in the street and a father lifts his little girl up to the camera and they both wave. People stand in a group and look at the camera. Miss Jessie Bacon looks through the window of Salter Lodge. Shot of the decorated D’Arcy Motors garage. The owner stands outside the garage where the Castrol oil and Esso petrol is sold. The proprietor, his wife and dog stand outside the Red Lion pub. Joyce’s sister, Margaret Allingham, and Margaret's husband, Philip Youngman Carter, stand outside their home in the main street. They then pose by the front door of D’Arcy House. Shot of a dog sitting in the garden. Close up of a woman hanging her washing on the line. Various shots of villagers going to church. A woman and her two children stand outside their home looking at the camera. A man climbs up a ladder to put up some bunting. Various villagers pose for the camera outside their homes and shops. One man cuts a rose and smells it. A car drives along the road followed by a shot of people coming out of a village shop. Shot of people looking out of the windows of the Queens Head pub and standing outside the tobacconist shop. Various shots of villagers standing outside shops and houses. A poster introducing the Tolleshunt D’Arcy Coronation Celebrations, June 2nd 1953 at the grounds of D’Arcy House. The poster states that there is a television in the village by Radio Vision, Maldon. It gives the line up of events for the day: Parade meet at The Maypole at 1.40pm followed by 3.45pm Sports; 4:30pm Sit Down Tea For Children; 5.00pm Running Buffet For Everyone; 5.40pm Sports Continued; 7.15pm Presentation of Prizes; 8.30pm Dancing in The Village. The procession of decorated lorries, vans, prams, cycles and fancy dress is shown. Camera pans over the people in the crowd dressed up in costumes. Close ups of the carnival floats driving past the camera. Children participate in various relay races. The film ends with scenes of a pram race with men dressed as women and the adult 'babies' drinking pints of beer.

Keywords

Bunting; Carnival; Celebrations; Community; Coronation; Fancy Dress; Relay Races; Rural; Sports; Village; Television; Cross dressing

Background Information

This film depicts celebrations for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Joyce Allingham had been a wireless telegraphist during the war, and spent some time overseas. She loved the village of Tolleshunt D’Arcy, and came back whenever she could get leave. She was the sister of Margery Allingham, the crime novelist. Joyce Allingham had been making films since the 1930s, and had a variety of 16mm cine cameras and projectors over the years. She had a Zeiss Ikon 16mm cine camera of the 1930s, a Bolex of the 1950s, and an unusual Siemens 16mm magazine loading cine camera Model D.