A local family has made the trek to London, and back in time, for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating 60 years on the throne this year, will see the occasion marked with a number of events this weekend. Tsawwassen's Stacey Gilkinson and her children, Stacey, 20, and Connor, 18, will be there to take it all in.
The family is making the trip in honour of two special men that are no longer around - Gilkinson's husband, Bryce Gilkinson, a retired RCMP corporal who died suddenly in August 2010, and her father, Kenneth Horwood, also an RCMP officer and a longtime Delta resident, who passed away several years ago.
"We just realized that life is too short and we need to go out and see the world as a family," Gilkinson said.
The family will be retracing Horwood's steps, so to speak.
He was among a contingent of RCMP officers that traveled to London for the Queen's coronation in June 1953, a year after her accession to the throne following the death of her father, King George VI.
Horwood joined the RCMP in 1948 at the age of 17. Gilkinson said her father, who had no interest in horses beforehand, was recruited to be a part of the famous RCMP musical ride, part of a large group sent from Canada to take part in the coronation ceremonies.
He was one of 46 men who sailed, along with their horses, from Quebec City to Southampton in April 1953. They traveled via steamship and all the officers had to take shifts sleeping with the horses.
Temporary stables were set up at Hyde Park and the officers and their horses took part in many events and performances during the coronation celebration, including the procession. The parade stretched over five miles and it was reported at the time that three million people camped out in the rain overnight to secure a spot to watch.
The day after the procession, the officers were presented with Coronation medals at Buckingham Palace.
"They were really treated like royalty," Gilkinson said.
She added her father was never one to make a big deal about his experiences in London - he would simply acknowledge he was there - however he kept many photographs, his medals and other memorabilia from the trip.
"Dad was a really modest man, he never talked about it," she said, adding she's hearing many of the stories now from her mother.
Gilkinson said the family is determined to try and recreate some of the photos during its trip.
