Where were you on 2 June 1953? Perhaps you were one of the 20 million who watched the day's events on television; perhaps you were one of the hundreds of thousands who braved the cold and rain to cheer the Queen through the streets of London. Possibly you were one of the 7,000 people present in Westminster Abbey for the Service, the most glittering ceremony that our tradition provides.

This programme tells the story of Coronation Day and the preparations for it through the reminiscences of people who were there, including Lord Ramsey - then Bishop of Durham, Lord Eccles - then Minister of Works, Lady Rayne - one of the Queen's Maids of Honour, together with many citizens who, for one reason or another, have good cause to remember the day, like the crewmen of the Lowestoft lifeboat who were among the few that missed the Coronation celebrations.

(Repeat)

The second of four conversational games about books and writers in which Anthony Burgess , Germaine Greer , Susan Hill and Adam Mars-Jones try to identify recited extracts, and then give vent to their literary likes and dislikes.
Readings by Freddie Jones
(Third programme tomorrow at 4.30)

The People of the Palace

by BOB GODFREY and STAN HAYWARD Christmas Dinner
Narration BOB
GODFREY Music by PETER SHADE
Production BOB GODFREY FILMS LTD

The feature film starring
Judy Garland with Margaret O'Brien Mary Astor Leon Ames
Meet Me in St Louis is perhaps Vincente Minnelli's best-loved musical, featuring Judy Garland in numbers like 'The boy next door' and 'Have yourself a merry little Christmas' and, of course, the classic 'Trolley song'. It traces the life and loves of a middle-class St Louis family through the four seasons, investigating the trials and tribulations of growing-up.
Screenplay by IRVING BRECHER and FRED F FINKLEHOPPE
Based on the book by SALLY BENSON Produced by ARTHUR FREED Director VINCENTE MINNELLI Christmas Films: page 15

Narrated by Robert Powell
A season of death and decay, or months of magic? When the sun departs and winter days arrive, how does our wildlife cope with the cold? There are many strategies for survival. Some prepare carefully, making food stores, laying up fat, going underground, hibernating. Others adapt, migrate, develop anti-freeze, flee. Some just shiver to survive, but all behave in ways that ensure that life triumphs over death. Award-winning cameraman Hugh Miles explores the still, silent, but stormy beauty of this most challenging season of the year. It is a season to survive.
BBC Bristol

with Jan Leeming ; Weather

(La Cenerentola) by GIOACHINO ROSSINI Opera in two acts
Libretto by JACOPO FERRETTI
Critical edition by ALBERTO ZEDDA
Rossini's delightful comic opera based on the classic pantomime story provides a special musical treat for opera lovers at Christmas. This is the third of three operas recorded for BBC2 at this summer's Glyndeboume Festival.
Glyndebourne Chorus chorus director JANE GLOVER
London Philharmonic Orchestra leader DAVID NOLAN
Harpsichord continuo Jean Mallandaine
Conducted by Donato Renzetti Director JOHN cox
Designer ALLEN CHARLES KLEIN
Lighting designer Robert BRYAN
English subtitles by CILLIANWIDDICOMBE Sound by JEFF BAKER
Lighting by JOHN ELFES
Television presentation by JOHN VERNON
(Produced by BBCtu by arrangement with Glyndebourne)
(Glyndeoourne production sponsored by NATIONAL WESTMINSTER BANK)

The Christmas Day programme in which Her Majesty speaks to the Commonwealth (with open subtitles and sign language interpretation for the deaf and hard-of-hearing).
Producer Richard CAWSTON

Bob Monkhouse presents the last of the present series in which he introduces the best of comic talent from around the world.

This week his special guests are Norman Wisdom and from the USSR via Los Angeles 'The Russian Comic', Yakov Smirnoff with music from Bertice Reading and The Harry Stoneham Band.

The postage-stamp republic of Freedonia, threatened by a revolution, appoints Rufus (Groucho) T. Firefly as its dictator. With Chico and Harpo as double agents working for the rival state of Sylvania, Freedonia is about to get a traumatic taste of Marxist rule!
Screenplay, lyrics and music by BERT KALMER and IIARRY RUBY Additionaldialogueby
ARTHUR SHEEKMAN and NAT PERRIN Directedbyleohccarey
Christmas Films: page 15