CRHnews - Her Majesty The Queen visits Chelmsford 1988

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• published: 13 Jul 2014
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Copyright CRHnews.co.uk One hundred years after her great, great grandmother, Queen Victoria granted its Royal Charter, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, came to town to celebrate its centenary as a Borough. The Cathedral bells pealed, crowds up to dozen deep on the pavements cheered, applauded and waved as the Royal Car, bearing the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, moved slowly through the gaily decorated streets to the Cathedral where they attended a Service of Thanksgiving. A great cheer went up as Her Majesty, in a cream coloured light coat, and Royal blue hat with cream trim, was greeted by the Mayor of Chelmsford, Cllr Philip Firth, and Mayoress, Mrs Irene Firth. Also in the welcoming party were Chelmsford Council's Chief Executive, Michael Hartley, and his wife Audrey, and the town's MP Simon Burns,and his wife Emma. Escorted by the Mayor, the Queen and Prince Philip walked through the Cathedral grounds, lined with 600 children from primary and special schools and playgroups, from every corner of the borough. Presented en route were the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Wilfred Davey his wife Norma, Deputy Mayoress ; the Leader of the Council, Cllr Keith Andrew and his wife Maureen and the Leader of the Conservative group, Cllr Christopher Kingsley and his wife Marian. Waiting near the West Door were two Chelmsford centenarians, Mrs Cicely Bainbridge, 103, and Mrs Ethel Warner, 104. At the West Door, the Bishop of Chelmsford, the Right Rev John Waine, and the Provost, the Very Rev John Moses, were presented. At the invitation of the Mayor, Her Majesty unveiled a plaque commemorating the occasion, on green Cumbrian slate. The official parties moved in three processions into the Cathedral to a fanfare played by Thames Fanfare Band. Inside the Cathedral a congregation of 700 representatives of all walks of life in the borough and the county rose to greet Her Majesty as the processional hymm 'Praise My Soul' led by the Cathedral choir, swelled to the roof of the ancient parish church of St Mary. Assistant Master of Music, Timothy Allen, was at the organ. The first reading, from the Tenakh was by Simon Burns, from Isaiah 32 verses 1-4 : The second reading, from the New Testament, was by Cllr Philip Firth, Mathew 5 verses 1-12: The Beatitudes. After the service Her Majesty walked through the ranks of cheering children to Shire Hall stopping to talk to children from Great Baddow's Rothmans School. Prince Philip, who, on hearing sisters Sally,11, and Stephanie Monk,9, and Laura Crossley,11, say which school they attended, quipped: "I thought they made cigarettes!" Suzanne Nichols, 8, of Moulsham Junior School, was trying her hand at Royal Wedding Photography when the Duke stopped and told her: "It's not often I get a child taking a picture of my big nose!" And the Queen, accepting a bouquet of hand-woven woollen flowers from Nicola Koster asked if she had made them herself. She had. The Royal Couple then lunched with 200 guests at Shire Hall, tucking into smoked salmon timbale, devilled duck, salad and hot new potatoes, ginger and kiwi fruit ice in a brandy snap basket, coffee and petits fours. Wines served were a Muscadet Chateu de la Janniere, Mise sure Lie, 1987 and a Gewurztraminer 1986. The Royal Couple left Shire Hall to deafening cheers and went on a lively walkabout along Market Road to the new extension where The Queen delivered a speech. Her Majesty met a variety of people including local historian and Essex Chronicle writer Stan Jarvis, who presented his book 'A View Into Essex'. Her Majesty stopped to chat to Westlands pupils who had prepared a huge collage of a circus scene and was presented with a basket of flowers by Rebecca Misley,6. The Mayor later revealed that although nothing was mentioned of Chelmsford's application to become a City to mark its centenary, this was still on the cards. "We have made application, but it takes a very long time."