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A light-weight present in Downing Road and a brand new 50p coin will likely be amongst official occasions marking Brexit on Friday.
Regardless of some accusations of triumphalism, the tone marks a extra muted distinction with British entry into the then European Financial Group (EEC) in 1973.
A brand new 50p was additionally minted again then – that includes nine interlocking hands to mirror the newly-expanded membership of the membership.
However Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath went additional, and organised 11 days of government-subsidised cultural occasions.
Starting three days after entry on 1 January, the “Fanfare for Europe” featured tons of of musical, inventive, and sporting occasions.
As with Brexit in 2020, the event was not immune from political wrangling.
Mr Heath, a Europhile who had lengthy dreamed of witnessing British entry into the EEC, generally known as the Frequent Market, took an lively function in sure occasions.
He attended a particular gala on the Royal Opera Home, and personally offered prizes to British and EEC kids who received free holidays in an essay competitors.
He additionally introduced down the beginning flag on a rally of dozens of classic automobiles from London to Brussels.
The choice to place himself on the centre of occasions didn’t come with out dangers, nonetheless, as some occasions noticed protests from anti-market protestors.
In actual fact, the prime minister was stink-bombed as he arrived for the gala in Covent Backyard alongside the Queen.
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Edward Heath met people group Steeleye Span earlier than they performed on the Royal Albert Corridor
In complete, seven authorities departments and two specially-created non permanent committees have been concerned in devising the programme for the Fanfare.
Crossbench peer and Arts Council chairman Lord Goodman led a committee liable for cultural occasions – whereas a second committee, chaired by the Conservative peer Lord Mancroft, took the lead in different fields.
Cultural occasions dominated the schedule, with 25 artwork exhibitions on European themes organized, in addition to scores of concert events.
The Berlin Philharmonic have been introduced over for particular live performance, while teams such because the Kinks, Steeleye Span and Slade all had gigs.
Mona Lisa denied
On the Victoria and Albert Museum, an exhibition was put collectively that includes paintings loaned particularly by every of the six current EEC members.
Denmark despatched two Bronze Age wind devices, whereas the Italian donation, a bust of Brutus by Michelangelo, was described within the programme as a “extremely expressive tribute to the combat towards tyranny”.
In the meantime France, which had twice vetoed British entry into the EEC within the 1960s, despatched a 17th Century depiction of card dishonest by painter Georges de la Tour.
Nonetheless an try to deliver the Mona Lisa to London reportedly failed when a request to ship the Rosetta Stone to the Louvre in trade was turned down.
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Formulation One’s Stirling Moss on the classic automobile rally, organised by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu (R)
Among the many headline occasions was a particular soccer match at Wembley, which pitted gamers from the six current EEC nations towards a workforce composed of gamers from the UK, Eire and Denmark, who joined collectively in 1973.
The ‘Three’, chosen by England World Cup-winning supervisor Sir Alf Ramsey, ran out 2-Zero victors with objectives from Danish worldwide Henning Jensen and Coventry Metropolis striker Colin Stein.
Among the many British stars who featured have been England’s Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton, and Scottish worldwide Peter Lorimer.
German worldwide Franz Beckenbauer additionally took half, though he was taken off at half-time.
Regardless of the star appearances, nonetheless, ticket gross sales have been gradual and solely 36,500 followers turned up, not rather more than a 3rd of Wembley’s capability at the moment.
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England’s Bobby Charlton (R) captained The Three in a match towards the EEC
Lack of enthusiasm didn’t cease there, with Lord Mancroft admitting to the Instances three months earlier than occasions started that some councils had refused to participate.
“However we discovered a a lot better quantity, who, whereas not being very enthusiastic, have accepted that British entry goes to occur…