Guests born in 1926 treated to cake and memories of Queen's Jubilee
A group of Staffordshire residents sharing the same birth year as the Queen were given VIP treatment at a special tea event.
The nine residents from Stafford, who were all born in 1926, were the VIPs at a special platinum jubilee tea in Stafford at the weekend.
The 96 year olds included former Prisoner of War, Kurt Gasch, who became a church warden in Bradley, and Ben Milner, a former Chairman of Stafford Borough Sports Council who previously met the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh when they visited the County Showground in 2006.
Mr Gasch and Mr Milner were joined by Ken Bolton, Norman Barraclough, Dorothy Swift, Helen Ladell, Jean Willshaw, Michael Bagshawe and Judy Whittle to enjoy tea, sandwiches, cake and a Victoria Sponge baked especially for the occasion.
Ben said: “It was a lovely afternoon and nice to have met the MP and Mayor and listen to some great stories.
"We were looked after very well and I feel honoured to have been invited here."
The guests were joined by the Mayor of the Borough, Councillor Philip Leason MBE, Stafford MP Theo Clarke, and Council chief executive Tim Clegg.
The event, which was organised by Stafford Borough Council, was part of Platinum Jubilee celebrations and was held in the Fitzherbert Suite of the town’s Rugby Club in Blackberry Lane on Sunday, May 29.
The guests were treated to music and memories with a more than 100 picture slide show of Her Majesty through the years, including many from the time The Queen and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited the county town in 2006.
The Mayor on that day was Joyce Farnham MBE, now 92 years old, who shared recollections of spending time with the Queen, during the afternoon.
Councillor Leason, said: “This was a fantastic way to mark Her Majesty’s amazing 70 years on the throne by inviting our very own borough residents who were born in 1926 to celebrate together with tea, cake, music and memories.
“The afternoon was full of incredible stories from people who have lived their lives during the same period as our wonderful monarch, and they all seemed to enjoy being centre of attention - and rightly so.”
The royal tea party signals the start of a week dedicated to The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with four days of events taking place in Victoria Park, and around the borough, from Thursday with a beacon lighting ceremony in the evening following the ‘Stafford in the World’ showcase earlier in the day.
A list of activities organised by The Great British Experience Company and the borough council can be found at staffordbc.gov.uk.
