The coronation of King George VI took place on Wednesday 12th May 1937. There were many celebrations held around the town including a service of thanksgiving at the Parish Church (attended by Keighley Town Mayor Thomas Wardle and members of the 6th Battalion Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment), followed by luncheon and then tea in the Municipal Hall; and a procession of different tableaux and a funfair in Victoria Park. The procession was watched by around 30,000 spectators and was made up of 28 tableaux created by local schools.
The town was well decorated with flags and bunting. Each child in the borough received a commemorative mug, and a party for youngsters was hosted by Edward Roberts and his wife at the New Mansions Lodging House in Westgate. Cake and crockery were distributed to employees of J. Haggas and Co. Ltd. of Ingrow Mills. A fancy dress parade and celebrations were held in the grounds of East Riddlesden Hall, which had only been handed over to National Trust a few years earlier.
A scrapbook containing dozens of cuttings from the Keighley News of a few days later is held in the Keighley and District Local History Society archive. All of the images shown here have been taken from this scrapbook. The scrapbook has been scanned in its entirety and is available to view here.
