Dray horses to pull Speaker's coach to Coronation, London
1968 - Royal and Sovereign at their regular job of pulling the Brewer's dray. Driver Charles Strickland has the reins and Trouncer Charles Gibbons stands behind as they leave the Brewery to deliver supplies. Brewer's Horses Will Take The Speaker To The Abbey For The Coronation: One of the oldest and most colourful coaches to be seen in the Coronation procession will be The Speaker's Coach, which is so heavy that it requires brewer's dray horses to pull it. Chosen for this important job are two fine 6-year-old greys, Royal and Sovereign, whose normal work is pulling a brewer's dray for Whitbreads at their Chiswell Street Brewery in the City of London. Driving and accompanying the Speaker's coach on the great day will be the two men who act as driver and trouncer on the dray, pulled by Royal and Sovereign on their daily round of the City public houses. They are driver Charles Strickland and trouncer Charles Gibbons. (Credit Image: (c) Keystone Pictures USA/ZUMAPRESS.com/Mary Evans)
