As the country came together to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, residents in Hanley were able to watch the festivities from a Big Screen as Smithfield, Stoke-on-Trent hosted one of the 30 official viewing events on Saturday 6th May.
Visitors made use of deckchairs on the grassed public realm, with many also bringing their own chairs and picnic blankets. For those who didn’t come already dressed up, there were face painters on hand to adorn cheeks with everything from crowns to lions, perfect for everyone.
We were delighted to be able to offer attendees a range of food and drink too – Pimm’s and prosecco flowed, delicious ice cream was available from Jenni and Ice Cream in a host of British flavours, plus lunch was sorted with excellent pizzas from the Woodfired Pizza Company. To the guests surprise, the first 500 servings were free, courtesy of Genr8, so people could relax knowing they were well fed.
Over the course of Saturday, despite the rain, hundreds of people came out to watch the events and enjoy the camaraderie – at its peak, nearly 270 were in attendance braving the British weather. With the urban beach open as a one-off before the summer, the whole family could find something to do, and the umbrellas certainly didn’t dampen the mood.
Stilt-walking King’s Guards and Flower Maidens also added to the spectacle, with plenty of photo opportunities as they handed out coronation flags.
The events didn’t stop there, as Smithfield also screened the Coronation Concert on Sunday 7th May. There was a chilled vibe as the sun set over the site, and the big screen gave everyone the chance to enjoy the music.
Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the weekend.
