Thousands of people will line the streets for the Queen’s visit tomorrow. Anna Silverman and Janine Rasiah speak to some of the residents who remember her 2002 visit.
Meeting the Queen is an unforgettable moment and more than a decade on the memory is still clear for those lucky enough to have seen her last time around.
Then mayor Pat Twomey led the Queen around Eastbury Manor House in Barking in 2002 during her golden jubilee tour.
The 70-year-old said months of planning was needed to pull off the impressive tour.
“It was really cold but a big crowd turned up to watch her regardless,” she recalled. “It was a great day, everyone was buzzing.
Inside the 17th century home Pat joked, “fancy building a building like this in the middle of a council estate” to which, she says, the Queen responded, “I can do one better than that, fancy building Windsor Castle right underneath a flight path.”
A number of other humorous stories stuck out in her memory from the day, including an elderly lady refusing to hand her bouquet over to the royal visitor.
“She was holding them ready to give the Queen but when she came over to her she wouldn’t let go of her flowers,” Pat said. “The Queen just stood there and eventually said ‘OK, you keep it dear’.”
Costumed actors embraced the Elizabethan theme and led Her Majesty around
Among the patriotic crowds lining the gardens were Ripple Primary School pupils.
Cristine North, of Fels Farm Avenue in Rush Green, was working at the school as a specialist teaching assistant at the time and took a number of children to watch.
“When the Queen arrived the children all leapt up and down and waved their flags,” she recalled.
“They were allowed to go up and speak to her. One girl presented her with some flowers.”
Cristine was there to support a group of special needs children.
“It was a beautiful day and very exciting,” she said. “She was exactly how I imagined her to be.
“I might go again when she comes tomorrow – I’m quite inquisitive to see if she looks older.”
Maurice Finch worked at Eastbury Manor House at the time and was tasked with security – while dressed up in Elizabethan costume.
As a staunch Royalist who served in the Royal Army Service Corps it was a very special moment for him.
He recalls the Queen’s arrival by helicopter, landing on Castle Green and being told to move one step backwards if he sensed trouble.
The Dagenham Girl Pipers performed a set, something that Sgt Tracey Dellar, 49, remembers fondly. She’s played in front of many members of the Royal Family but says it was particularly special to do so in her home town.
“It’s always nice to perform in front of the royals but it was very nice to welcome the Queen to the borough,” she said.”
And Tracy, who has been a piper for 36 years, will perform in front of the Queen again tomorrow at Chadwell Heath Community Centre.
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