Seniors ‘watch’ Queen’s funeral on TV bought for her coronation

By Tom Bevan via SWNS

These seniors gathered around a television bought for The Queen's coronation - to watch her funeral.

The group of elderly folk huddled around the tiny set, just as they would have done nearly 70 years ago.

The vintage TV set was brought out of storage to bring joy. The set no longer works so the care home owner fixed an iPad to the front so they could watch the funeral live.

The old TV was first used for an extended family to watch the Queen complete her formal accession to the throne in 1953.

At the time, a group of around 17 people gathered at the home of Winifred and Ronald Dando in Midsomer Norton, UK, to witness the historic event.

The antique monitor has been in storage since the 1970s and for the last eight years has been owned by the couple's grandson Christopher Dando.

Mr. Dando, 56, who is now manager of the Court House Care Home in Cheddar, UK, brought it out of hiding so that his elderly residents could experience a slice of their childhoods.

He said: "It was bought by my grandparents for the coronation.

"My dad inherited it and just kept it in the loft, garage and shed, covered over with cloths.

"My dad died eight years ago and I have had it ever since. For years I've been thinking I really ought to get it out and do something with it.

"As it was bought for the coronation, I just thought the funeral is the perfect time to get it out and show it off to the residents.

"It is a Defiant model with a big mahogany box with two nobs 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 and this is its first public outing since."

Among those watching the funeral at the home was Ruby Cockle, who turned 100 on August 26 this year, becoming one of the last to receive a letter of congratulations from Her Majesty.

The coronation saw an estimated 2.5 million television sets bought with each screen attracting around 17 viewers.

Mr. Dando added: "It was hard to imagine that many people around a screen the size of an iPad - trying to catch a glimpse of something so spectacular.

"Our residents are all elderly and most of them can remember something about the coronation. Bringing it back out for the funeral has certainly invoked a lot of memories.

"There are a lot of memories for them in those TV sets."

"It's a really old set with lots of bulbs in it. It is all analog rather than digital, but the screen fits an iPad in perfectly so we have slipped that into it and they have re-watched the coronation and all the news on it."