Anglia Archive: The Queen in Suffolk in 1961

The Queen visited Suffolk in July 1961 and the county turned out in force to greet her Credit: ITV Anglia

Less than ten years into her reign the Queen paid a visit to Suffolk in July 1961 and the county came to a standstill.

She came ashore from the Royal Yacht Britannia to the Shotley Peninsula at the mouth of the Rivers Stour and Orwell and visited the Naval training shore base HMS Ganges. There were visits to Ipswich, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds and many villages in between.

There was a 21-gun salute both in Ipswich and in Bury St Edmunds. The Ipswich Town stadium at Portman Road was filled with 18,000 schoolchildren who put on a performance for the Queen.

At Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds the 1st East Anglian Regiment formed the Guard of Honour.

Back in 1961 Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister, the Beatles were performing at the Cavern Club for the first time and the old black-and-white £5 notes ceased being legal tender.

Other events of 1961:

  • Betting shops were legalised

  • Barclays became the first bank which an in-house computer system

  • The farthing coin, which had been in use in the 13th century, ceased to be legal tender.

  • The Avengers was on ITV

  • The Sunday Telegraph and Private Eye were both published for the first time