Queen Elizabeth II Princess Elizabeth is born on 21 April 1926 in Bruton Street, Mayfair, London. In 1939, she meets Prince Philip for the first time; she is 13 years old and he is 18 and a young naval cadet. They meet at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. On her 18th birthday she is given her first corgi called Susan. She has owned around 30 dogs during her reign, with many of them being direct descendants of Susan. THE QUEEN IN LEEDS 1. Crabtree and Sons printing works in Water Lane, 1958. 2. Planting a tree in Harewood Park. The royal couple stayed overnight in Harewood House, 1958. 3. Montague Burton Ltd, Hudson Road, 1958. 4. Inspecting the troops, 1958. 5. Waving to the crowds from the steps of Leeds Town Hall, 1958. 6. Leeds Art Gallery, 1958. 7. Pictured here with The Earl of Harewood at Leeds Town Hall, the Queen attends a concert as part of the Leeds Centenary Musical Theatre, 1958. 8. The Queen at the Civic Hall with Prince Phillip as part of a two-day national Silver Jubilee tour in July, 1977. 9. The Queen visits the new Leeds Arena (still under construction), followed by the newly refurbished City Varieties for a special Children’s performance of the ‘Good Old Days’. She then walked down Briggate which was lined with children from schools all across the city culminating in a performance by a 150 strong choir and brass band, 19 July 2012.
Adventurers Ever since Magellan became the first man to circumnavigate the globe in 1519, adventurers have continued to pit themselves against the elements. Over the years, sailors and explorers have battled against the weather, tides and natural barriers to conquer peaks and oceans. Round The World Sailing Sir Francis Chichester (1901-1972) was a British sailor and aviator; the first person to single-handedly sail around the world in 1967, stopping just once. His achievement ‘laid down the gauntlet’ for others wishing to make an attempt at this momentous challenge. Following in Sir Francis footsteps was British sailor Sir William Robert Patrick (Robin) Knox-Johnston CBE RD, who became the first person to perform a single-handed non-stop circumnavigation of the globe in 1969.
British Art: British art has long been at the forefront of artistic innovation and evolution, featuring large on the international art scene in recent decades. Encompassing many forms, whether it’s open-air sculpture, an installation or paintings hung in a gallery. British art continues to be thought provoking and challenges our perspective.
Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the Queen. Situated in the centre of the capital, it sits in 39 acres, and has the largest private garden in London. It contains 775 rooms, including 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices and 78 bathrooms. It is used for State visits, meeting and receptions and is the administration centre for the Monarchy. The famous balcony has been the focal point for many iconic royal moments. For the majority of her time, The Queen’s residence at Windsor Castle making it the oldest and largest occupied palace in the world.
Captain Sir Tom Moore ‘Tomorrow will be a good day’. Captain Sir Tom Moore captured the National mood to support those serving in the NHS. Working conditions in hospitals were already challenging, but the Covid-19 outbreak stretched staff to their limits. Sir Tom’s ambition to walk 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden before he turned 100 years old began as a modest monetary target. Initially motivated to raise £1,000 for NHS Charities, the amount grew to a staggering amount; close to £33 million. In recognition for this amazing achievement, he was knighted by the Queen in a unique open-air ceremony in the grounds of Windsor Castle in July 2020. After hearing news of his death on 3 February, 2021, NHS staff came out onto the street to clap their appreciation and cities celebrated his life by lighting up their building and monuments.
Channel Tunnel The Channel Tunnel was officially opened on the 6th May 1994 by The Queen and President Mitterrand after six years of construction costing £4.65 billion (equivalent to over £12 billion today). It is 31.4 miles long, and at 23.5 miles, it has the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world. The tunnel connects the UK from Folkestone, Kent to Coquelles, Pas-De-Calais, near Calais in France. It actually consists of three tunnels – two carry trains and the third one is used as a service tunnel; it takes around 35 minutes to travel through it.
Concorde Concorde, developed jointly between the UK and France was built at Filton, Bristol and Toulouse, France. The first UK Concorde was completed in 1969, and she made her first transatlantic crossing in 1973. In 1976, the world’s first scheduled supersonic passenger service was launched with British Airways initially flying the aircraft from London to Bahrain.
Famous Locals There are many famous and talented people that hail from Leeds and the surrounding area and we have listed just a few here. Famous locals range from Barry Cryer who helped write the Morecambe and Wise show, The Two Ronnies amongst many others, Sir Ian McGeechan, one of rugby’s most regarded figures, Alan Bennett, who has won numerous awards including two BFTA, four Laurence Olivier and two Tonys, Mel B, one of the world famous Spice Girls and Rob Burrow who has tirelessly fundraised for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) community since being diagnosed with the disease for which he was awarded on MBE.
Fashion And Lifestyle There have been many highlights and innovations in the fields of Fashion and Lifestyle over the past 70 years. But it was the early 1960s that had the biggest impact as young people started to take more control of their new-found freedoms. They no longer had to look like younger versions of their parents, a whole industry sprang up around the culture of ‘youth’. The way young people looked, their attitudes towards authority were in direct opposition to those of their parents. Experimental music from The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones burst on to the ‘scene’. Freedom of expression manifested itself through fashion, sound, art and culture. A new contraceptive, ‘The Pill’ was a landmark moment in the sexual liberation of women.
FIFA World Cup 1966 The greatest crowning achievement of any football loving nation is is to win the World Cup, and in 1966 those dreams came true. Managed by Sir Alf Ramsey and captained by the legendary Bobby Moore OBE England faced West Germany in the World Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. With West Germany scoring a goal early on, England battled back to equalise and then lead at 2-1, only to concede a late goal which meant extra-time. In the 101st minute, Geoff Hurst’s effort hit the cross bar and deflected downwards, with the linesman and referee signalling a goal. However, it was controversial as even to this day none of the pictures show it conclusively over the line. Minutes later, Hurst scored again to complete his hat-trick and sealed a 4-2 win for England. Who will ever forget TV commentator, Kenneth Wolstenholme’s iconic words “They think it’s all over. It is now!” England had won the coveted Jules Rimet Trophy.
Glastonbury The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts is the biggest music festival in the UK with thousands of people visiting the Worthy Farm site in Pilton, Somerset for five days in June. In total, these are around 2,800 performances and not only can visitors enjoy music, but dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other arts too. The site covers 900 acres, is a mile and half wide with a perimeter of about eight and a half miles. The first festival was known as the “Pilton Festival” or the “Pilton Pop Party”, until it was eventually branded as Glastonbury in 1981. It was set up by farmer, Michael Eavis in 1970 and tickets cost £1 including free milk from the farm.
Horse Racing ‘The Sport Of Kings’ Horse racing is one of the most ancient sports since nomadic tribesmen of Central Asia domesticated the horse and racing has grown as an organised sport in many countries ever since. British Monarchs (who could afford to breed, train and keep stables for racing horses) because central to the establishment and promotion of horse racing, and it was during the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714) that horse racing became a professional sport with racecourses set up throughout England, including Ascot in 1711.
Live Aid On July 13, 1985, over 70,000 people entered Wembley Stadium and became part of one of the biggest events in music history; Live Aid. It was the brainchild of Bob Geldof KBE who, having witnessed the horrific famine in Ethiopia and Sudan, organised this global concert in just ten weeks. It was officially opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana and Status Quo took to the stage with ‘Rocking all over the World’. Simultaneously the Beach Boys opened Live Aid at the JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. More than 75 acts, including Mick Jagger, Elton John, Sting, U2, Queen, Madonna, The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, David Bowie and Eric Clapton took part.
Live Entertainment Live entertainment has always been a part of British culture, whether presented by a local amateur group or professional performers in the many theatres across the UK. Live entertainment continues to be in great demand, despite numerous cable and terrestrial TV channels, online streaming and many other internet platforms. Panto at Christmas time is a wonderful institution where slapstick, the villain, corny jokes and audience participation makes it hugely popular for all ages.
Popular Culture Britain has always been admired for the quality of its TV programmes, many of which have a huge following around the world. In fact, programmes such as such as Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, Only Fools and Horses, Downton Abbey and Planet Earth (to name but a few), have helped UK channels realise over £1.9bn from foreign sales. This global appeal allows the UK to maintain a high reputation in programme making. The 1970s is considered to be the golden age of comedy and one of most loved comedy double-acts was Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise. Their fame grew to such an extent, that their Christmas ‘Specials’ gained hilarious notoriety and celebrities such as Shirley Bassey, Elton John, Glenda Jackson, Andre Previn and Angela Rippon survived madcap sketches to brilliant effect.
Princess Diana Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, at Park House , Sandringham, Norfolk to Edward Spencer, Viscount Althorp, the 7th Earl Spencer, and Frances Ruth Roche. Her parents divorced when Diana was a child and she and her siblings remained with their father. As a young girl, she attended school in the UK before completing finishing school in Montreux, Switzerland. On her return to England, Diana became a kindergarten assistant at the Young England school in Pimlico. Diana and Charles, Prince of Wales announced their engagement February 24, 1981 and were married on July 29th in a televised broadcast watched by hundreds of millions of viewers globally. Their first child, Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, was born in 1982, and their second, Prince Henry (“Harry”) Charles Albert David, in 1984. However, there were difficulties in the marriage and the couple divorced on August 28th, 1996.
The Beatles The group that shaped the sound of the 20th century and changed popular culture forever. It began with a chance meeting at a St. Peter’s, Woolton’s Parish Church in Liverpool 1957 when John Lennon, who was performing with the Quarrymen, was introduced to 15-year-old Paul McCartney. McCartney was invited to join the band, and George Harrison joined a year later in 1958. Stuart Sutcliffe was brought in to play bass with Pete Best on the drums. They called themselves many names, but the band finally decided on ‘The Beatles’ in the summer of 1960.
The British Film Industry The UK film industry can rightfully claim to be at the leading edge of international film making, promoting UK creative talent all around the world. British actors, directors and creative teams play a huge part in this global industry. In the early days, UK filmmakers established many small studios like Ealing, which specialised in quintessentially British post-war humour known as ‘Ealing Comedy’, releasing such well-loved films as ‘The Man in the White Suit’ (1951). The first ‘Carry On’ film was released in 1958, and a total of 30 were made; the last one in 1978. The appeal of these films was in their simplicity with innuendo and quick-fire repartee which harked back to the British Music Hall.
The Commonwealth: The Commonwealth is a voluntary association made up of 54 countries which are held together by a shared history who work together on trade, the environment, and human rights. The Queen has been head of the Commonwealth throughout her reign. She has visited nearly every Commonwealth country and in 1953, when the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made a six-month tour of Commonwealth countries, it included a visit to Australia and New Zealand; the first time by a reigning British monarch. Although nowadays she has reduced her travelling, the Queen continues to reinforce links with each country.
The Mini The Mini was launched in 1959 and quickly achieved iconic status during the 1960s. Designed by Sir Alec Issigonis for the British Motor Corporation (BMC). It was built at the Cowley plant in the West Midlands. Originally marketed as the ‘Austin Seven’ and ‘Morris Mini-Minor’, It was designed to provide space for four passengers and luggage. Issigonis had to overcome the challenges of the limited space available and the Mini was fitted with a transverse engine with front wheel drive layout; a unique solution for its day. Due to petrol rationing caused by the Suez crisis, it also had to be economical to run. Formula One designer John Cooper recognised the potential of the Mini as a racing car. He collaborated with Issigonis to create the ‘Mini Cooper’ in 1961 and then the ‘Mini Cooper S’ in 1963. This dynamic little car went on to win 32 rallies around the world, including three wins at Monte Carlo; the first time in 1964.
The Olympic Games, London 2012 The Olympic Games were held in London from 27th July to 12th August 2012. A total of 10,768 athletes from 204 nations participated in 302 events in 26 sports across 39 different disciplines. The theme to Artistic Director Danny Boyle’s Opening Ceremony was ‘Isles of Wonder’, where inspiration was drawn from aspects of British history and culture. There was a cast of 20,000, including 900 children playing their part in a tribute to the NHS. Danny’s objective was to make the audience in the stadium feel ‘included’ in the spectacle and drew upon the ‘Great British sense of Humour’ when ‘Her Majesty’ and 007 entered the arena by parachute. To create the awe-inspiring firework displays at the ceremonies, 15 kms of data cable connecting 12,000 igniters were positioned around the site which would activate 20,000 fireworks launched from more than 350 firing positions around the park and the River Lea.
The Queen’s Coronation The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II took place on 2nd June, 1953. The ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey and was the first to be televised, with cameras positioned at Buckingham Palace, the Embankment, Hyde Park and inside the Abbey. The ceremony is steeped in tradition, rich in religious significance and pageantry. It contains the following elements; the Election, the Recognition, the Oath, the Anointing, the investiture (including the ‘putting on of the Crown’), the Enthronement and the Homage. As part of the three hour ceremony, the Queen was enrobed in various vestments, including the ‘Robe Royal’. She held the Orb, the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rob with the Dove. She put on the Ring and the Crown of St. Edward was placed upon her head by the Archbishop to cries of ‘GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!’ announcing the final part of her coronation.
The World Wide Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee OM KBE FRS FREng FRSA FBCS began working in the software industry after graduation from Oxford University in 1976. His expertise in computer science and physics led to him working at CERN as a software engineer in 1989, devising a system to help scientists share data. Sir Tim published his landmark paper, ‘Information Management: A Proposal’ and built the first WWW server and web browser ‘WorldWideWeb.app’ by the end of 1990. The first web page was posted on the open internet in 1990 and by the following year, people outside of CERN were invited to join this new web community. Sir Tim is an advocate for Internet freedom and open data. He works tirelessly to ensure the web serves humanity, by establishing it as a global public good and a basic right. As Sir Tim tweeted during the Olympic Opening Ceremony in 2012, “This is for Everyone”.
Tour de France In 2014, Yorkshire hosted the start (the Grand Depart) of the 101st Tour De France with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry officially opening the race at Harewood House. 198 cyclists took part in the famous cycling competition and over 2 million people lined the route across the two Yorkshire stages to cheer them on. The first two stages of the 2,277 mile race took the route from Leeds through Otley, Ilkley and Skipton before heading into the Yorkshire Dales and ending in Harrogate. The second stage started in York passing through Keighley and Huddersfield to Sheffield. The race continued through the UK and then across the channel to France and the finish line at the Champs-Elysees in Paris.
Trooping The Colour This colourful spectacle is an integral part of the Royal year and is used to mark the Queen’s ‘Official Birthday’ in June. The term ‘Colour’ refers to the Regimental flag which bears uniform colours and insignia worn by soldiers of different units. The Guards have provided a personal bodyguard to the Sovereign since 1660. It is believed that the ceremony of ‘Trooping the Colour’ was performed first during the reign of Charles II (1660-1685). In 1748, it was decided that the ceremony would be used to mark the Official Birthday of the Sovereign, and the parade was adopted after George III became King in 1760.
What is DNA? DNA carries genetic information with all the instructions that a living organism needs to grow, reproduce and function. In 1951, Rosalind Franklin discovered the density and the unusual shape of the DNA molecule but it was in 1953, following her research, that Watson, Crick and Wilkins, determined that the structure of DNA is a double-helix polymer (a spiral consisting of two DNA strands) wound around each other. This led to significant advances in scientists understanding of DNA and the ways in which it could be used. The men received the Nobel Prize in 1962 for their work.
Wimbledon: “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club, Wimbledon, propose to hold a lawn tennis meeting, open to all amateurs, on Monday July 9th and following days.” That was the announcement that appeared in ‘The Field’ magazine in 1877. From those humble beginnings, the Annual Lawn Tennis meeting at Wimbledon has grown into one of the premier events in the sporting calendar, playing host to enthralling matches, celebrity spectators and television coverage watched by millions world-wide.
World Sporting Achievement: Sir Lewis Hamilton MBE Seven-times World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton drives for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula 1 (F1) team. If he wins an eighth world championship, it will make him the most successful F1 driver in history. Hamilton’s talent was obvious to all, when he progressed from driving radio-controlled cars to winning in various races through Formula Renault, Formula 3, the GP2 series, into F1 with McLaren. His star continued to rise when he moved to Mercedes in 2013.
Leeds is celebrating the Platinum Jubilee this summer with the launch of a free to view photographic street exhibition showcasing 70 years of achievement throughout Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
Since 6 February 1952, when Princess Elizabeth acceded to the throne to become Queen Elizabeth II, this country has celebrated many national and local achievements, several of which will be on display during the Celebrating Britain exhibition. The open-air exhibition featuring more than 120 images has been organised by Leeds City Council’s arts, events, and venues service. It is free to the public and accessible 24 hours a day. The exhibition will be displayed on large-format panels in Victoria Gardens in front of the Library, the Art Gallery, and the Henry Moore Institute from June 1st.
The diverse collection of images has been curated by street gallery experts Wecommunic8 and sourced from the extensive MirrorPix archives, who have sponsored this street gallery. Each display panel features stories, key dates, and background information on each photograph with fascinating “did you know” facts.
Visitors will see Royal occasions, sporting successes, world-famous inventions, landmark moments and a reflection of British cultural diversity. Shoppers looking for Leeds references will enjoy pictures of Her Majesty’s visits, plus other notable visits to the city, including Princess Diana and The Beatles. The exhibition will also feature images and a list of famous Leeds locals.
Chris Bridge, Exhibition Director for Wecommuni8 said:
“We are thrilled to be working with Leeds City Council once again to bring this special Leeds version of our “Celebrating Britain” exhibition to the city, which features some of the most famous images taken during our lifetimes. We hope it reminds visitors of the amazing achievements and special celebrations we’ve either experienced or seen on the news or read about in newspapers during the 70 years of Her Majesty’s reign.”
Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Robert W Gettings MBE JP said:
“I am delighted that Leeds is hosting the “Celebrating Britain” Exhibition to coincide with the Platinum Jubilee of Her Majesty the Queen – the longest-serving monarch in British history. It is wonderful that we have this opportunity to showcase the city with a panel depicting famous local people. It is clear that Leeds has a wealth of diverse talent, from world-class dance and musical theatre artists to gold medal achieving Olympians.
“I hope you enjoy this exhibition that highlights the remarkable contribution made by so many as well as covering landmark moments, sporting successes and world-famous inventions over the past 70 years.”
Leeds City Council is hosting the exhibition as part of a calendar of events and attractions that bring visitors to central Leeds. For more information on what else is happening in the city to mark the Platinum Jubilee, visit www.leeds.gov.uk
