Garstang and District Children's Festival
Marjorie Nicholls (nee Clarkson)
Coronation Queen 1937
(2007 Festival Programme)
This year (2007) marks a special anniversary in Festival History for one Garstang lady. It is exactly seventy years since Marjorie Collinson, now Mrs Nicholls, was a rather special Queen. 1937 was the Coronation year of George VI and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. This took place on 14th May with our Festival following on the 16th. In honour of the royal event the Gala Queens were known as Coronation Queens.
Marjorie’s mother was a Garstang lass and worked at the Royal Oak from leaving school at 13 until she was 26. She was so tiny when she started there that they had to build her a special platform on the inside of the bar. Size was not a problem. She ended up in charge of running the whole hotel.
Marjorie was born in the end cottage facing St. Thomas’ Church and attended school there until she was eight years old. Her father then took over from his father and the family moved to Woodacre Hall Farm, one consequence being a change of school to Scorton for his daughters.
The Queen in those days was not chosen by drawing lots, but by a vote of pupils at a local school selected on a rota basis. The retiring Queen in 1937 was Peggy Dunn from Winmarleigh and, it being Scorton’s turn, that is where Mr Grayston of the Committee cycled to and oversaw the vote which resulted on Marjorie being elected. You can imagine the excited girl taking the news home. It was only recently that Mrs Nicholls has thought about the family’s situation. “We must have been a bit better off than some people” she recalls, “because the expense did not seem an issue”. No doubt in other circumstances the Festival would have helped out.
Mum took over arrangements. The dress was to be made by Helen Cookson and white silk was purchased from a mill at Tulketh, Preston. It was selected for its quality at a cost of 1s 2d (6p) per yard. A new pair of white shoes was secured and on the big day a proud Dad hired Mr Gartside of Red Rose Taxis to deliver his daughter to the Institute on Thomas Weind. Here she changed into her regalia and the red velvet cloak traditionally worn. Eleven year old Marjorie had received some coaching in deportment from Mrs Burton who also trained the Morris Dancers. She now met her retinue, chosen by the Committee, including her page boy Jim Moorby, who she recalls, had a head full of curls, almost like a girls.
The morning parade started at the Town Hall, wound round the town and finished at the Royal Oak field – an area now occupied by Sainsbury’s and the By-Pass Road. Lunch was at the Institute, with the crowning ceremony to follow in the afternoon on the field. Peggy, the retiring Queen, was in attendance in a blue velvet cloak for the ceremony. The crowning was conducted by a Mrs Thomas whose husband had a pharmacy in Great Eccleston and was related to the Chemist’s in Garstang. There was no speech by the Queen, Marjorie reminisces – the old adage that children should be seen and not heard applying. Races were held: the normal straightforward running for various age groups, three-legged, egg and spoon and two unusual additions - a backwards race and a threading a needle event. A maypole was set up and the Funfair was also in attendance. Mr Melling, the owner of the Royal Oak and a man known to be cautious with money, generously arranged for every child in the parade to have a free ride. Not much by today’s standards, but at that time a great treat. There was still the evening parade with the fancy dress and a fancy dress ball at the Institute attended by some 80 participants. All that now remained was Mr. Gartside’s taxi home at the end of one very special day in a young girl’s life.
Marjorie’s involvement with the Festival has indeed spanned the years – from a first entry in around 1930 dressed as a mouse, a Morris Dancer with her sister Molly, children’s fancy dress, and, for the last 18 years or so she has entered the fancy dress with her long-time friend Marion Ward. Are they going to enter this year? “Oh yes! Very probably” was the reply. The question, “What as?”, was met in true Garstang tradition with a little smile and, “Wait and see”.