Jubilee Celebration Event, a truly jubilant day!

BALLANCE and McKnight family members joined nearly 60 Ulster New Zealand Trust members/volunteers in making the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee event on Thurs, June 2 truly memorable. An afternoon of pleasant entertainment with good food and great company at the Ballance House. Thanks to Lisburn & Castlereagh District Council for awarding the Trust £500 from the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Fund 2022.

Trust Patron Brian McKnight planted a tree in the orchard as part of The Queen’s Green Canopy.  A unique initiative marking Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee as groups across the United Kingdom planted a tree to mark 70 years of Royal rule.

Amelanchier lamarckii, a native of the British Isles, was selected being a deciduous small tree providing colour across two seasons. Also known as the Juneberry it will add colour to the orchard for generations to come.

Welcomed by Trust executive director Freddie Hall guests enjoyed a varied programme, including a Lisburn Camera Club film of the newly crowned Queen visiting Lisburn in 1953. Only weeks after the lucky few were able to watch on tiny black and white TV screens the Coronation in London.

Ulster New Zealand Trust members of all ages noting how Lisburn and our social habits are much changed. Market Square in 1953 had no Linen Centre nor Museum, but many small shops. Folks then dressed in their very best complete with hats for all during the visit followed by a quick fag for the men folk. That young and glamorous Queen must have shaken the hands of many thousands of local worthies since then. Taking care to make each individual’s big day special no matter how routine it is to the Royal family.

The afternoon’s entertainment continued with two musical interludes by Chloe Megarry, great granddaughter of Jack and Samelia Ballance, and by volunteer guide Francis Mulley accompanied by Ken Robb on keyboard.    Followed by an audience rendition of ‘We’ll Meet Again.’ 

Then came a Royal table quiz with first prize to the Team Twigg Table and an excellent afternoon tea served by Margaret Parks and family.  Following which David Twigg proposed the Loyal Toast and encouraged those old enough to recall their own 1953 Coronation Day memories.

Adding that in 1953 Her Majesty made the first ever Christmas broadcast from overseas live from New Zealand during a royal tour of the Commonwealth.

Others noted that John Ballance, the Ulsterman who served NZ so well as Premier, lived entirely through the reign of Queen Victoria.  Our previous longest serving monarch. John was born in 1839 two years after Queen Victoria came to the throne. Thus he knew no other Head of State during his lifetime. Something John Ballance has in common with almost all of us today.

Rodney Magowan

Volunteer PRO