Batley's gift to the Royal children
Batley's gift to the Royal children
WHEN the Queen came to town in the Fifties, the people of Batley had prepared a surprise gift.
The young Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made an hour-long visit during a tour of the Heavy Woollen district in October 1954 - just two years after her coronation.
The Royal train arrived in Dewsbury at 10am and half an hour later the Queen's car crossed the boundary into Batley.
Thousands of people lined the route to wave to the Queen and her husband as they went past, en route to the Market Place.
There, the Mayor of Batley, Coun Colin Wilman, presented the Royal couple with two dressing gowns, one beige and one blue, for the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne.
The dressing gowns had been made locally as a gift from the whole town.
The News of the day reported that the Royals were delighted with the present.
"That's very, very kind of you," said the Queen.
The Duke of Edinburgh said: "My word, that's very nice indeed."
IT had been 17 years since the last visit of a reigning monarch and excitement had been building throughout the year.
People rushed out to read about the latest developments to the planned itinerary - even if there was no news.
On May 1 of that year, the News' front page headline read: ‘The Royal visit: No plans yet'.
The article continued: "No official preparations have been made for the visit of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh to Batley on October 28.
"The Town Clerk, Mr L O Bottomley, said this week that no official notice had been received."
On October 9, the paper carried details of the two mill workers who would be presented to the Queen.
The workers had been selected because of their long service.
The first was Annie Kenyon, of Purlwell, who had worked as a weaver at Blackburn and Co, New Ing Mills, for 62 years. Miss Kenyon had started work when she was just 12.
The second was Leonard Noble, of Birstall, who had completed 55 years' service at J T and T Taylor's, Blakeridge Mills.
Mr Noble had joined the company as an office boy aged just 13.
THERE was a festival atmosphere on the day of the visit, with applause and cheers from the crowd eager to glimpse the Royals.
But there were some people who were not so happy - the folk of Birstall.
The News reported: "Birstall folk are annoyed with Batley corporation because the town was not included on the Royal route.
"Coun Miss Gladys A Knowles, Birstall representative on the Town Council, commented: ‘The feeling is that we have been absolutely slighted. We have been ignored as far as the route is concerned, and the matter of presentations is another thing which is a very sore point."
Birstall dignitaries had been overlooked when drawing up the list of people to be presented to the Queen, she argued.
ROYAL VISIT: The Queen is shown around by the Mayor of Batley, Coun Colin Wilman.
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Weather for Batley
Thursday 24 May 2012
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Temperature: 11 C to 26 C
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