History: Didcot's Coronation brochure, part three

This has been a fascinating insight into how the Didcot community worked together in the 1950’s.

The committees and organisations planned and achieved a memorable occasion.

In my last two articles I concentrated on that as well as writing a little taster of the futuristic story “One Hundred Years From Now,” which I hope you enjoyed.

Read again: Didcot Coronation brochure, part one

The committee involved in the organisation of the street parties and activities was made up of local business people and councillors whose names will be familiar to those of us who have lived in this area for a long time.

The newcomers to Didcot and surrounding villages will recognise some of them by the street names they see and maybe by the names of some of the local schools and new housing estates. For example, Stephen Freeman Primary School and Freeman Road named after Alderman Stephen Freeman.

Ladygrove Park Primary School and Ladygrove housing estate after Ladygrove Farm.

Read again: Didcot Coronation brochure part two

Warner Crescent after the pharmacist S. A. Warner?

Some of the more recent and new street names and buildings are named after Williams F1 racing boss Sir Frank Williams who started his business in Didcot.

Bosley’s Orchard is another, named after the Bosley family who ran various shops and businesses in the town and whose names appear in this brochure.

The advertisements in the brochure helped to raise funds for its publication and the events and to allow local children to be presented with Coronation Commemorative cups and glasses.

I am one of those children and still have mine.

A Little More from “One Hundred Years From Now”

Nasturtium is still asking questions of her Grandfather who she calls Grandpappy.

“What are motor cars, Grandpappy?” she asked.

“We used to go about in motors and think we were progressive. That was before we had sky-scrapers and sky-buses or anything modern like that. Thousands of people were killed every year until they were abolished.”

“Why didn’t they abolish them before that then?”

“Well, human life had become very cheap, somehow. Then, that very year, in 1953, a great flood drowned about 300 people. It seemed a terrible loss of life. Then someone pointed out that that number of people were killed in three weeks by motors. A movement began to abolish them, and after a few years they went out altogether, and sky-buses were used instead.”

“Don’t people get killed in sky-buses?”

“Very few. They are radio-controlled, and collisions are impossible. Of course, some people fall out now and again, but that’s the human element.

"Reach me that scrap-book and I will show you some pictures of Old Didcot.”

I should like to thank my friends and family for ongoing information and photographs received in my quest to research the history of Didcot.