Telegraph & Argus Monday 1 June 1953:

Throngs of sightseers jammed the procession route as London’s Coronation invasion gathered momentum hour by hour. A cold wind and drizzle did not damp the enthusiasm of the crowds, some of whom held sing-songs. Thousands upon thousands, poured into the capital to seek the best vantage points from which to see the great spectacle. Police estimated that by midday there were already 5,000 people bedded down in the Mall and around Trafalgar Square. As they continued their endurance test, ticket agencies a few hundred yards away were offering Coronation stand seats for sale at £8 and above.

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