It’s said that wherever the royal family go they can always smell the whiff of fresh paint.
And that may well be the case for the Queen and the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, next Thursday when Her Majesty officially opens Chester ’s Storyhouse cultural centre in front of what is expected to be a large crowd.
Council workers have certainly been busy with the paintbrush.
Northgate Street and Town Hall Square are getting spruced up because for some reason it’s considered royal visitors can spot a faded yellow line or a weathered telephone box at 50 paces.
That’s probably why the phone boxes opposite Storyhouse have had a fresh coat of pillar box red.
Royal visit to Chester
And if you ever get fed up with potholes in your road – organise a royal visit – because miraculously they get filled in. Apparently the pothole outside the cultural centre did need doing because rainwater kept gathering into a large puddle with the potential to give the royal pair a soaking if a car wheel went through it.
Today bicycle stands are getting a lick of paint. And the steps in front of the Chester Visitor Centre have been touched up – let’s not dwell on the boarded up empty McDonald’s behind.
Joking apart, the whole area is looking spick and span with literally no stone unturned so Chester should be looking at its best when the royal scenes are beamed around the world. Camera crews are expected to descend on the city to capture the Queen and her young protégé on their first official engagement together.
