Care home residents will watch the Coronation on a TV bought for The Queen's - 70 years ago

By Laura Linham

5th May 2023 | Local News

Residents at a care home in Cheddar are in for a treat this weekend as they will watch the coronation on a TV set that was bought specifically for The Queen's coronation 70 years ago.

The pensioners will huddle around the tiny antique black and white Defiant set on Saturday, just as many of them would have done nearly 70 years ago, to witness the coronation of The Queen's son, Prince Charles.

The monitor had been in storage since the 1970s and for the last eight years has been owned by the care home's manager, Christopher Dando. It was first used for an extended family to watch the Queen complete her accession to the throne in 1953, and it was dusted off for the first time in decades for the Queen's funeral last year.

The residents will be glued to the television to watch the coronation and the procession while enjoying a regal lunch on Saturday. "The old-fashioned TV set has sparked so much conversation and reminiscence amongst the residents as they recall their first viewings on a similar TV set, as well as memories of where they were and how they celebrated the Queen's coronation in 1953. These memories for the residents were so important and really good for their mental, social and physical well-being," said Mr. Dando.

Mr. Dando's grandparents, Winifred and Ronald Dando, had bought the TV set for the coronation, and it had been used by around 17 people at their home in Midsomer Norton, Somerset, to witness the historic event. Mr. Dando's father, Brian, inherited the set, but it had remained in the garage, loft, or shed for many years until it was passed on to Mr. Dando. He had always thought of doing something with the set but never got around to it until now.

"It is a Defiant model with a big mahogany box with two knobs on the front and one for contrast and a big speaker. My dad was 11 at the time of the coronation and remembered all the family gathered together to watch it. It was probably last used in the 1970s until we got it out for a public airing for the Queen's funeral last year," said Mr. Dando.

Mr Dando, who lives in Westbury-sub-Mendip, said: "It's a really old set up with lots of bulbs in it. It is all analogue rather than digital, but the screen fits an iPad in perfectly so we have slipped that into it."

The rest of the weekend will include further royal revelry in the shape of 'Coronation Bingo' and 'Pin the Crown on the King.' The care home's staff and residents have been making decorations to brighten the home and will also have a royal-themed singalong. Monday's "Right Royal Street Party" will see the residents continue to celebrate, with hopes that it will take place outside.

The residents and staff at the Court House care home feel that it is essential to celebrate this special event together. "The residents and the staff felt that it was so important to celebrate this very special event together as it was such an important moment in history," said Mr. Dando.

     

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