Pictures Eddie Whitham
AS Her Majesty the Queen approaches her 94th birthday (April 21) local photographer Eddie Whitham takes a trip down memory lane to her first visit to Warrington more than half a century ago.
Her first visit was in May 1968, when she visited Bridge Street, which had undergone a facelift.
In these rare colour photographs of the Queen’s visit Her Majesty is pictured with Warrington’s Mayor at the time, Arthur Boyle and Raymond Broadbent, who ran Broadbents shop on Bridge Street.
It was one of four visits to Warrington during her reign as the longest serving British Monarch.
The Queen’s next visit came in November 1979 when she toured the newly opened Golden Square with Prince Phillip.
In August 1998 the Queen visited the newly opened Hollins Park Hospital at Winwick and most recently the Queen and Prince Phillip officially opened the Orford Park Jubilee Hub in May 2012.
Meanwhile it wasn’t the only time Eddie got to photograph Royalty.
He also captured photographs of a young Prince Charles playing at The Royal Polo match at the Cheshire Polo Club near Oulton Park.
Below – When the Queen officially opened the Orford Park Community Hub (Pictures George Thornton).
