The government is to spend more than £1 million showing the coronation on big screens across the country — but the Harrogate district is not included.
Ministers revealed today a dozen sites in Yorkshire and Humber will get big screens to show the coronation of the King and the Queen Consort on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. Not a single one is in North Yorkshire.
The closest one to the Harrogate district will be at Millennium Square in Leeds.
Although the selection of Leeds and other major cities, including Sheffield, Bradford and Hull, is not unexpected, some smaller places such as Dewsbury and Halifax are on the list while the likes of Harrogate and Ripon are not.
The decision to choose five places in West Yorkshire — Bradford, Halifax, Wakefield, Dewsbury, Huddersfield and Leeds — and not a single one in North Yorkshire, England’s largest county, may raise eyebrows particularly as many of the places chosen are close to each other.
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The Department for Culture, Media and Sport announced the locations today.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said:
The Coronation will be a magical moment that brings people together to celebrate the best of Britain over a special weekend in May.
These big screens, in major locations in towns and cities in the four nations of the UK, will make it easier for everyone to take part and have a memorable experience to mark this exciting and historic event.
Big screens location in Yorkshire and Humber
- City Hall, Hull
- Trinity Market, Hull
- City Park, Bradford
- Piece Hall, Halifax
- St Peter’s Parish Church, Huddersfield
- Dewsbury Library, Dewsbury
- Millennium Square, Leeds
- Pontefract Castle, Wakefield
- Peace Gardens, Sheffield
- The Glass Works, Barnsley
The Sun Pavilion and Colonnade in Harrogate has been given Grade II listed status as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced six new sites across the country will be given the status.
The Sun Pavilion and Colonnade were constructed in 1933 to designs by Leonard Clarke, the borough surveyor, as part of a £60,000 spa development scheme intended to be one of the finest in Europe.
The classical building with Art Deco details was opened by noted medic Lord Horder of Ashford and the opening ceremony was captured on film by British Pathé. The pavilion was designed as a place to take refreshment and rest after taking exercise or after taking the spa waters in the town centre.
After a period of decline in the 1980s, the site was restored following a campaign led by local citizen Anne Smith and supported by celebrities including author James Herriot.
In 1998, the Sun Pavilion was officially re-opened by Queen Elizabeth II, and in 2018 celebrations were held to mark the 20th anniversary of Her Majesty’s visit.
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The five other sites given listed status include the M62 motorway, the Imperial Hotel in Stroud, Gloucestershire, All Saints’ Church in Shard End, Birmingham, the Queen’s Theatre in Hornchurch, Greater London and the Hampshire Archives in Winchester.
The listings aim to highlight some of the important places from the Queen’s reign and to reflect the important social, technical and cultural changes which have taken place over the past 70 years.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England which advised on the new listed buildings, said:
“These new listings celebrate the diversity and richness of our heritage overseen by Her Majesty during her 70-year reign, showing how the fabric of the nation has changed and developed.
“These sites cover the length and breadth of the country – from All Saints’ Church near Birmingham, which she opened in 1955 when she was newly crowned, to the high-tech Hampshire Public Records Office, completed in 1993.”
Nigel Huddleston, heritage minister, added:
Could local MP be promoted in Prime Minister’s cabinet reshuffle?“These historic sites provide a fantastic opportunity to reflect on how much life in the UK has changed during Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign. Listing them as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations is a fitting way to pay tribute to the longevity of her service.”
There is speculation that local MP Nigel Adams could be promoted as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s reshuffle.
Reports on national newspaper websites say Mr Adams could be in line for a position at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
However, the government had yet to confirm any move at the time of publication.
The Prime Minister said he wanted a “strong and united team to build back better from the pandemic”.
Should Mr Adams, whose Selby and Ainsty constituency includes rural parts of the Harrogate district, including Spofforth and Follifoot, take on the brief, it will include overseeing a review of the Gambling Act.
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The Stray Ferret reported last month that Mr Adams accepted gifts from three companies for £6,038 worth of hospitality tickets to England’s Euro 2020 games.
Two of those firms, Entain and Power Leisure Bookmakers, were gambling companies, according to his register of interests.
Mr Adams, was criticised last week for telling anti-Brexit campaigner Steve Bray to “f**k off” outside the House of Commons.
He defended his outburst, which he claimed “no doubt reflected” the feelings of other MPs.