THROUGHOUT the decades thousands of Chester residents have decorated their streets with bunting and patriotic flags to celebrate royal occasions.
Cobbled streets, shop windows, doorways, pubs, and churches have been filled with messages of support, banners and cakes as families celebrated coronations and royal weddings.
On July 29, 1981, thousands of people took to the streets wearing Union Jack hats and sat down to feast on mountains of jam sandwiches and scones at street parties to celebrate the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
Discos and giant feasts transformed streets in Blacon, Vicars Cross, Tarvin, Saltney, Frodsham and Helsby and dozens of Chester residents went on a Chronicle coach trip to London to join in the wedding parade.
One of the largest parties was held at Castle Park, Frodsham, where nearly 2,000 people flocked to the lawns to dance through the night.
As the couple said ‘I do’ cheers rang out and bells chimed from Chester Cathedral.
In the evening 3,000 people climbed to the top of Rawhead in Bickerton to watch a bonfire being lit by the Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire, Lord Leverhulme.
Homeowners in Deansway street, Tarvin, sent congratulatory telegrams to the royal couple, while the City of Chester sent a stone bird table carved from a Roman pillar as a gift.
And a four-tier cake was crafted by bakers at Weinholt’s in Handbridge, which took 800 hours to make. The cake was 5ft tall and filled with rum and cherry brandy before being covered with 70lb of marzipan.
