THRONGS of revellers were out in force at the weekend to enjoy the Southend-on-Sea Festival, the ‘In the Park’ fest and the Southend film festival.

However, these crowds were nothing compared to those which lined the streets in July 1921 when Southenders quite literally went to town to for a royal visit.

King George V came to Southend to race his 177ft sailing yacht, HMY Britannia, in the chief event of the first ever Southend Yachting week – a race he, perhaps not unsurprisingly, ended up winning.

But from newspaper reports at the time it’s clear this was an event in Southend’s history that would be remembered by an entire generation forever.

In fact such was the applause and cheers that greeted the monarch as he arrived in Southend that it was described as “a lusty prolonged roar of welcome”.

The Southend Standard reported the visit in great detail, writing of the palpable excitement as crowds gathered in Victoria Circus and High Street to await the arrival of the royal party.

Reports describe how shops closed and at least three faces were pressed up to every pane of glass on every window in every house in the town. Traders too were keen to get in on the act by selling Royal memorabilia.

“By 5.30pm they started to line up on the edge of the pavement and soon after 6.30pm there was not a vantage point to be found. Fortunate were they who secured seats at the window overlooking the street,” described the Standard.

“Three o’clock struck and Southend realised that His Majesty would soon be drawing near and excitement rose and spread. Itinerant vendors sold buttonhole Union Jacks or flags designed for infant hands as well as small doll-like figures inscribed “thumbs up. Please take me home.”

The standard reported how the crowds “let themselves go” as the king proceeded along the High Street while children revelled in the decorations and grandeur of the day.

The street decorations, which included flags and bunting, as well as the pier being completely illuminated, in particular thrilled the young faces in the crowds:

“It was much to the delight of admiring urchins who since the day of Armistice had known no such gay times,” said the Standard.

King George V - the grandson of Queen Victoria - was known for his punctuality. Nothing annoyed the monarch more than lateness. True to form his royal train arrived in Southend right on time.

“Punctual as the unfailing sun the Royal Train was announced by signal, the mayor, the town clerk the chief constable, the Mace-bearer and the Station Master proceeded to walk slowly towards the centre of the platform,” the Standard reported.

“His Majesty, in yachting attire - a blue suit, brown bowler hat, brown boots and wearing a tie of racing colours - purple and red – looked remarkably well and cheery.

“After shaking hands with dignitaries the king said: “It is not so hot as it was, is it?

“Like good and true Englishmen Southenders took the visit of their king leisurely, they refused to be hurried.”

To mark the visit a quarter peal of Grandsire Triples was rang at St Mary’s Church in Prittlewell while the Cliffs bandstand saw performances by bands of the Royal Horse Guards 3rd Hussars. As a large gathering formed the Standard reported how a crowd of 1,000 voices spontaneously erupted into a verse of ‘God Save the King’.

The Standard described how the monarch was touched by such a warm welcome: “Seasoned as he is to such welcomes the king was pleased and his people knew it.”

A lavish dinner to mark the king’s visit was held at the Palace Hotel. A message of congratulations on the Britannia victory was sent to the king, who had left by this time.

The monarch, however, replied immediately with a message saying: “The king thanks the Flag Officers and members of the Yachting Club now assembled at the Palace Hotel for the kind congratulations on the success of his majesty’s yacht and congratulates them on all of their arrangements.

“His Majesty hopes that all present are spending a happy evening.”

The King would return to Southend two years later for the 1923 Yachting Week, however this time his skills at the helm did not bring him victory.

There’s not doubt, however, the king’s visit and his entry into the chief event of the yachting race greatly helped to make the first Southend Yachting Week a huge success.

Britannia was a gaff-rigged cutter built in 1893 for George V’s father, King Edward VII. It became the star of the sailing scene under Edward and when he died George inherited the yacht and embarked on a long racing career with it.

George had not been expected to inherit the throne - he was only third in line - and despite the opposition of his strongly opinionated grandmother, he and his elder brother, Albert Victor, joined the navy.

He spent fifteen years in the navy and it was here that his deep affection for nautical life- as well as his famous punctuality - was fostered.

In 1931 George modified the yacht but by this time her performance had declined and her last race was at Cowes in 1935.

The king was such a passionate sailor that his dying wish was for his beloved Britannia to follow him to the grave. After George died at Sandringham House in Norfolk, on January, 20 1936, of a bronchial illness (aged 70) Britannia was stripped of her spars and fittings, her hull was towed out to St Catherine’s Deep and she was sunk near the Isle of Wight.