The origins of the world-famous Spalding Flower Parade stretch right back to the 1920’s and 1930’s
The Jubilee in 1935 of King George V and Queen Mary coincided with the time the tulips were in flower
In 1948, the Growers’ Association became involved in organising a Tulip Week. A 25-mile tour through villages and country lanes was planned to show the best fields
By 1950, Tulip Week had become Tulip Time and was developed in conjunction with the Spalding Urban District Council over three designated weekends
To ensure that there would always be tulips on display, even if they might not be in the fields, from the many millions of tulip flower heads removed, it was decided to keep some available for decorative purposes
In 1959, the first annual Spalding Tulip Parade took place. Within a few years this Parade was to become world famous and even more popular than the tulip fields themselves
The Parade continued each year for 55 years until the final Parade in 2013

Bryan Simpson 2015