Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant, Tim Cox, has been actively participating in events across the County over the past week to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.
From attending a Coronation Tea Party at Barford St. Peter’s Primary School, planting trees in Warwickshire’s Country Parks, to attending Warwickshire Libraries and a Royal Leamington Spa College celebration lunch, it has been a busy period of public celebration and unity to mark a new era in the monarchy's continuity.
On Wednesday 3 May, Tim Cox attended a Big Lunch event at Royal Leamington Spa College, which was hosted by students on a range of the college’s catering, hospitality, graphics, and tourism courses. Special guests to the event included representatives from the brain injury association Headway Coventry and Warwickshire, and people who might have otherwise struggled to join in weekend celebrations including the elderly, homeless, carers, and volunteers.
Lord Lieutenant Tim Cox attending Royal Leamington Spa College for a Big Lunch event.
The Bistro at Royal Leamington Spa College, Courses Restaurant at Rugby College, and Pershore College (all under the Warwickshire College Group), as well as North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, were part of fourteen colleges to offer Big Lunches and Afternoon Teas between the 3 - 5 May to celebrate the Coronation across the wider West Midlands area.
Thousands of schoolchildren across Warwickshire also took part in celebrations to commemorate the start of the King's Coronation weekend. Tim Cox attended Barford St. Peter’s Primary School’s family-friendly event on 3 May to commemorate the start of the Coronation Weekend, which involved plenty of singing, cake making, and crown-making. Tim Cox joined in the celebrations and helped the children plant the tree as well as judge the winning cake, followed by songs and performances from the children and everyone joining in together to sing the national anthem with the local church choir.
Lord Lieutenant Tim Cox getting involved in Coronation events at Barford St. Peter’s Primary School.
Ahead of the Coronation Weekend, Tim Cox also met with Warwickshire Libraries to see their Coronation displays and commemorative seed bookmarks due to be given out to customers alongside teas and coffees during library opening hours. Tim Cox explained he was very impressed with everything that he saw, including the many ways that libraries help local people in addition to being able to borrow books and other print or digital reading materials. To find out more, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/libraries.
On Saturday 6 May the Coronation ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey in London, and Tim Cox had the special honour of attending the ceremony in person as the King’s representative for Warwickshire. In Warwickshire the ceremony was available to watch online, on public library PCs in open Warwickshire library spaces, and on multiple big screens available across the county. On Sunday 7 May Tim Cox then attended a special Coronation service at St Mary’s Church in Warwick, which brought people together to commemorate this historic and special occasion in a more reflective way.
Business & Customer Services Manager Ayub Khan with Lord Lieutenant Tim Cox and Warwickshire Libraries Coronation seed bookmarks.
Throughout the weekend Tim Cox also joined Warwickshire County Council’s Chairman, Cllr Dave Humphreys, at each of Warwickshire’s five country parks to unveil trees planted to commemorate the Coronation. A variety of native fruit, blossom, and oak trees were selected to provide food and nectar sources to local insects and birds.
The first tree-planting and plaque was unveiled at 2pm at Kingsbury Water Park’s Coronation Big Lunch on the Sunday, followed by a tree-planting and plaque unveiling at Pooley Country Park at 3pm, and at the ancient hilly woodlands of Hartshill Hayes country Park at 4pm, where members of the Mancetter Historical Group attended the event.
The commemorative tree-planting continued on Monday 8 May at Ryton Pools Country Park. Tim Cox spoke with members of the public taking part in a conservation walk, as well as representatives and volunteers of the Butterfly Conservation Trust as part of The Big Help Out, followed by a final tree-planting at Burton Dassett Hills Country Park with members of the John Kimbell Charity.
Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant, Tim Cox, said:
“I am honoured to have had the opportunity to join our local communities in celebrating the Coronation of King Charles III across Warwickshire. From planting trees and attending Warwickshire Libraries to joining in with big lunches and afternoon teas, it has been heart-warming to witness the enthusiasm and togetherness of everyone involved. I always enjoy any opportunity to speak with people in our local communities, and I am grateful to have been part of such a special, memorable, and historic occasion for our county."
To find out more about the role of Warwickshire’s Lord Lieutenant, visit https://lordlieutenantofwarwickshire.co.uk/