What a glorious weekend of Coronation celebrations we had across Brentwood for the King coronation on 6 May. It was magnificent to see an abundance of flags, bunting and red, white and blue shop window displays across the area and to see all the street parties and public celebrations mark one those rare and very British occasions.
I watched the ceremony at home with family and friends and was mesmerised by the chance to watch this most ancient ceremony which has taken place in Westminster Abbey for almost a thousand years. On the Sunday I joined worshippers at St Martin’s in Ongar for their Coronation Commemorative Service to mark the crowning of our latest king.
Brentwood Borough Council pulled out all the stops with an afternoon of free entertainment and sport in King George’s Playing Fields on Bank Holiday Monday. I took my family there to enjoy firelighting with the Scouts, fundraising with the Friends of Wallace Kennels and very good conversations with the volunteers from the Brentwood Foodbank, Brentwood Rotary Clubs and the Brentwood Air Cadets, whose young members did an outstanding job organising the parking.
The young musicians of the Brentwood Imperial Youth Band were as polished as ever, and were joined by the Brentwood School Big Band and massed choirs of St Thomas’s Church for a spectacular concert.
For the Imperial Youth Band, this was their second big event for the Coronation weekend, having been the main attraction at the Herongate and Ingrave Parish Council celebrations too. Crown Street traders also held a Bank Holiday event, with activities for all the family keeping shoppers happy in Brentwood Town Centre.
Huge congratulations to the organisers and volunteers who, as always, worked so hard for all local residents. Despite the rather grey weather throughout the Coronation weekend this has been a magnificent chance for everyone across the Brentwood and Ongar constituency to come together to celebrate the crowning of His Majesty King Charles III. God Save the King.
