Spalding Flower Parade
1959

The 1959 Spalding Flower Parade was held on Saturday 9th May.

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The programme was a single page, printed both sides and sold for 6d.

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Jill Whitehouse was the Tulip Queen. She was crowned by Vince Eager, a celebrity at the time.

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It was described by Pathe News as the first ever large scale flower parade in the whole of Great Britain. The floats were designed by the Dutch artist Adrianus van Driel. In later years his son Kees van Driel took over. 

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The bill for organising that first spectacle came to £1,275.15.9d which included £28.5s for the hire of bands and £20 for teas for the float riders. 

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Floats included:

A large tulip head butterfly by Goemans

Elsoms Seeds

British Bulb Flower Industry

Smedleys who had a Spalding cannery

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The parade took 2 hours to cover the route.