Extract from “Snippets from the life of a Spaldonian”.
Mr Hanson tells that a bi-product of the Tulip production was a royal visit. The Worshipful Company of Gardeners, an old city company came on a visit and expressed a keen interest in the bulb fields and tulip time. They suggested presenting a trophy and a royal visit which they could organise. The trophy was awarded for the greatest contribution to Tulip Time over the year.
They arranged for the Duke and Princess Alice of Gloucester to come for a day in 1956. They arrived at 10.30 in the morning , the VIPs were greeted by all the civic dignitaries on a special stage that was erected in the Market Place. The guest were given a tour of the tulip fields and then back to the Corn Exchange for lunch. The Corn Exchange had been specially redecorated for the occasion and top caterers Gunters from London came and served lunch. The afternoon was spent touring some more fields and calling at the parish church. The Duchess presented the new Worshipful Gardeners Trophy to Mrs Whittaker, a teacher at the school, for the Tulip Mosaic which the children had made on the circle in the Vista. The visit continued with a tour of J T Whites Nurseries where they saw tulips
being prepared and packed.
The day finished with tea at Mr Willis White’s house.
Click on the images to enlarge.
