Photo taken on Coronation Day - June 2, 1953 - Large Group

Coronation Day

June 2, 1953

Coronation Group, House and Flags

Thank you to Nigel, now living in Lincolnshire, England for allowing me to reproduce the photograph above. This is one of three photos taken somewhere in Edinburgh on Coronation Day, June 2, 1953.

Acknowledgement: Nigel Baxter, Boston, Lincolnshire, England: October 17, 2011

Who and Where?

Here are all three photos:

If you recognise any of the people in these photos, or or the houses, please email me to let me know where the photo might have been taken.

Thank you.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: October 17, 2011

Update

Thank you to Alistair Adams for providing the answer as to where the photo at the top of this page would have been taken.

Please click on the thumbnail image below to read Alistair's comments

Thank you to

Reply

Neil Lawrence

Fountainbridge, Edinburgh

Thank you to Neil Lawrence for replying.

Location

"Here is a possible location for this photo. The house looks similar to a 'Mick & Mac' house (McTaggart & Mickel).

There are similar houses at Carrick Knowe Terrace."

Neil Lawrence, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh: October 21, 2011

Neil sent me a 'Google Street View' photo of a similar house at 41/43 Carrick Knowe Terrace and added:

"Corstorphine Hill in the background looks similar."

Neil Lawrence, Fountainbridge, Edinburgh: October 21, 2011

Reply

Nigel Baxter

Boston, Lincolnshire, England

Thank you to Nigel Baxter, who provided the three Coronation Day photos for writing again. Nigel wrote:

Locations

"It's nice to know that people can place these photos. In the replies about this photo, Carrick Knowe is mentioned."

"I've now found another negative with the name Carrick Knowe on it. It is of a church concert, but it is not dated."

Acknowledgement: Nigel Baxter, Boston, Lincolnshire: October 4, 2011

Reply

Alistair Adams

Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland

Thank you to Alistair Adams for discovering where the 1953 Coronation Party photo would have been taken..

Alistair wrote:

Location

"This Coronation Day pic was almost certainly taken outside 49 Carrick Knowe Hill. (See the large photo below from Google Earth.)

It's the only location which fits the style of house and the corner house next door (with top of pipe shown at eaves). It also has an elevated garden opposite, from which the photo was taken.

Please click here to enlarge the two thumbnail images above.

Alistair Adams, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland: December 22, 2012

Location

Thank you Alistair for sending the photo and observations above.

The houses in the background in the recent photo appear to be just hidden hidden in the first photo, but the shape of the hill in the background is certainly a good match.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: December 22, 2012

Reply

Danny Callaghan

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland

I thought the discussion of Photo 1 above might have come to an end when I received Photo 2 - the Google Earth picture of 49 Carrick Knowe Hill.

Photo 1

Photo 2

However, Danny Callaghan now raises two questions about photo 1.

Danny wrote:

Not 1953

"I believe that Photo 1 would not have been taken in 1953. The windows are still taped to stop the glass shattering during bomb raids.

Photo 1

I would guess that it was taken during an 'End of War' party in 1945."

Danny added:

Not 49 Carrick Knowe Hill

"I don't believe that the house in Photo 1 is 49 Carrick Knowe Hill.

I'm sure that the houses behind in the Google view (Photo 2) would also show in Photo 1 if Photo 1 was a photo of 49 Carrick Knowe Hill. However, I agree that the hill in the background could be Corstorphine Hill.

Could Photo 1 perhaps be a photo of Carrick Knowe Drive, as this would not have had houses behind? However the trees around the school now hide the hill.

Or could Photo 1 perhaps have been taken on one of the other Mactaggart & Mickel developments around Edinburgh, such as Colinton Mains?"

Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: December 23, 2012

Location

Thank you Danny for the comments above. The comments about the photo having probably been taken in 1945 are interesting, and I have no reason to doubt that logic.

However, I still think it possible that both Photos 1 and 2 are of the same house - 49 Carrick Knowe Hill.

- A first sight it might appear that the houses in the background should be visible in Photo 1 as well as in Photo 2.

- However, Photo 2 seems to have been taken from a higher viewpoint, i.e. from a camera mounted above a Google vehicle.

The hill in the background in Photo1 comes to just under half way up the door, and the houses are a little below the skyline of the hill.

So, it seems to me possible that the houses in the background of Photo 2 could have just been hidden behind the group in Photo 1.

I apologise for the complicated explanation above. (Perhaps somebody will volunteer to express it more simply for me!)

However, my conclusion is:

"Both photos might be of the same house - 49 Carrick Knowe Hill."

Please click here to enlarge the two thumbnail images above.

Peter Stubbs, Edinburgh: December 23, 2012

Reply

Alistair Adams

Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland

Alistair Adams replied:

Tape on the Windows

"The tape on the window is multi-coloured ribbon, and has been used to create a 'Union Flag' pattern.

WWII anti-blast taping was narrower, and had to form a tighter pattern, to be effective."

Houses in the Background

"You are correct in that the background houses (in Carrick Knowe Terrace and Carrick Knowe Drive) in Photo 2 are hidden behind the people in Photo 1, due to the different heights from which the two photos were taken."

"All good stuff."

Alistair Adams, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland: December 24, 2012, 11.00am

Reply

Alistair Adams

Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland

Alistair Adams added:

Houses in the Background

"More ... You can see the sloping roof of the house in the next street, just to the left of the car (in front of the person looking sideways) in this photo:

Please click on this
image to enlarge it.

People in the Photo

"Most of the second row of children were probably in my class when Carrick Knowe Primary School opened, a year or so later.

I think I see:

- Valerie Cranfield

- Johnny Boyle

- Jennifer Marshall.

They're all in the attached photo that was taken at Carrick Knowe School.

P.S. Identification is not aided by half the cast wearing clown's make up!

Alistair Adams, Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, Scotland: December 24, 2012, 12.15pm

Reply

Danny Callaghan

Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland

Thank you to Danny Callaghan for writing again .

Danny wrote:

It was Queen Elizabeth's Coronation.****

"I concede. If this picture is enlarged, you can see a banner of the Queen on the wall !"

Danny Callaghan, Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland: December 24, 2012

**** NOTE: Danny Callaghan had previously suggested, in his Recollections 5 above, that this photo was probably taken at a celebration to mark the ending of World War II in 1945.

Reply

Bob Saunders

Edinburgh

Thank you to Robert Saunders who wrote

Carrick Knowe

"This photo of the group in front of the house in Carrick Knowe Hill reminded of another celebration which took place at the end of the 1939-45 war.

Musicians on the Verandah

The event took place in Carrick Knowe Park. (I lived at Carrick Knowe then.)

A small group of musicians played on the verandah of the sports
pavilion while people danced on the area in front of it. Maybe someone had a camera and recorded the event!

One of the musicians was a policeman named George Fairweather. He was the father of Clive Fairweather, who was later to become HM Inspector of Prisons."

Bob Saunders Edinburgh (for the past 76 years): February 15 2013