Ann Hopkins and a picture of her at a coronation party in 1953

Diamond Jubilee: Woman shows revellers pictures of her at coronation party during Newbury Park bash

by Joshua Fowler
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
3:00 PM

A former midwife rolled back the years as she displayed a host of old photos showing her as a five-year-old Queen of Hearts at the coronation celebrations in 1953.

Ann as a child in her Queen of Hearts dress

Ann Hopkins, 65, of Aldborough Road South, Seven Kings offered her neighbours in Hertford Road, Newbury Park a glimpse of the past on Monday as their street party was in full swing almost 60 years on.

Dressed as the Queen of Hearts 59 years ago, Ann even took along a full plate of tarts as part of her fancy dress costume that scooped her the award of best dressed at her small party in Bethnal Green.

Her family can be traced back for centuries in east London, according to Ann, who moved to Redbridge in 1980 with her two children for an easier commute to work as a midwife at the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel.

She said: “I was just a little girl growing up in Bethnal Green, but I remember the coronation well, the party we had was great. We all sat on long tables and ate what we could.

“I used to go dancing and dress up all the time, so I loved it when mum found me a Queen of Hearts costume to put on.

“The people in those photos I brought along are all over the world now.”

A busy career meant that Ann was unable to celebrate the Silver Jubilee, but now retired she asked her designer daughter, Emily, to travel up from Brighton to celebrate the day with her.

To see her mother as a five-year-old Queen was a shock to Emily, who was seeing the photos for the first time.

She said: “It’s a bit of a shock actually, mum has never told me about the coronation and this is the first time I’ve seen her as the Queen of Hearts.

As in 1953, Ann came armed with sweet treats this time donated by Free Cakes for Kids UK (Redbridge), including a tiered sponge topped with a glistening 60.