PICTURES: Residents celebrate Queen's platinum jubilee with afternoon tea organised by Beauly Cares
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Memories of the Queen's coronation were recalled by older residents in Beauly as they tucked into afternoon tea to celebrate her platinum jubilee.
The event, at the Phipps Hall, was organised by Beauly Cares and was attended by 72 guests although the organisation said such was the demand, it could have sold many more tickets.
Those present included recently retired Inverness Provost and Aird and Loch Ness councillor Helen Carmichael who recalled watching the coronation on a black and white TV in a neighbour's house.
"I remember all the parents having a seat and the children sitting in front watching it on a tiny TV which must have been about the size of an ipad," she said.
Bob Coburn (75), who helped to transport people to afternoon tea, revealed his encounters with royalty when he served with the Royal Navy.
"I was on HMS Abdiel which was the mother ship for minesweepers and so I met Prince Charles several times when he came on the ship," he said.
For many, it was the first real social occasion and a chance to catch up since the start of the pandemic. They included Annie Watt who was joined her sister, Rhoda Forbes, who felt the Queen was a good role model, saying: "She is fantastic – she is lovely."
Vera Nairn - who, at 94, is two years younger than the Queen - said she had watched the jubilee events in London on TV.
"It made me proud to be British," she reflected. "No one in the world can do this sort of thing like we can."
The afternoon tea included musical entertainment and a display of Highland dancing.
Good causes receive payout from community fund
