Wigan Album

Was this the time when they had to postpone the coronation because the king had apendicitis or something?

Memories of Wigan Parish Church Walking Days back in the 1950's. The Market Square was as full as this back then.
A Service at All Saints then off to my Grans for the biggest Sunday Tea of the Year ! (plus a few bob in my pocket from family and friends who used to toss money to you as you went by)

I believe this photo was taken on the 26th of june 1902, a day of ‘Coronation Observances in Wigan’. Notice the two banners on the gable wall of the market hall ‘Edward Rex’ and ‘Alexandra’. the following is quoted from wikipedia - Edward VII and Alexandra were crowned at Westminster Abbey on 9 August 1902 by the 80-year-old Archbishop of Canterbury, Frederick Temple, who died only four months later. Edward's coronation had originally been scheduled for 26 June, but two days before on 24 June, Edward was diagnosed with appendicitis. Thanks to developments in anaesthesia and antisepsis in the preceding 50 years, he underwent a life-saving operation, performed by Sir Frederick Treves. This was at a time when appendicitis was generally not treated operatively and carried a high mortality rate. Treves, with the support of Lord Lister, performed a then-radical operation of draining the infected appendix through a small incision. The next day, Edward was sitting up in bed, smoking a cigar. Two weeks later, it was announced that the King was out of danger. Treves was honoured with a baronetcy (which Edward had arranged before the operation) and appendix surgery entered the medical mainstream.