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GOOSTREY ROSE QUEEN FESTIVAL - (25/06/05)

The celebrations marking the 100th anniversary of the Goostrey Rose Queen Festival in Cheshire are featured in this latest update to Boots and Paws.

The festival was first started in its present format in 1805 by Miss Emily Cumberbirch and Miss Margaret Worth, the daughter of the landlord of the Crown Hotel. Part of the celebrations in the village included a Scarecrow competition; one of the entries making the headlines was a scarecrow dressed up as a policeman complete with speed camera, (see photo on right).
There was a procession through the village with floats, marching bands, people in fancy dress as well as a vintage bus carrying some of the 50 former Rose Queens who attended the event.
The process of crowning the new Rose Queen commenced when the procession reached the main arena. As well as the current Rose Queen pensioner Marian Jervis was crowned Queen much to her surprise after a wait of 65 years. Queen elect Marian was not crowned in 1940 as the event was cancelled due to the second world war.
Dancers from the visiting Elizabeth Fontein School, South Africa are shown in the photo on the left. In the centre the new Rose Queen is featured while on the right Alice Griffiths, (my Nan) Rose Queen in 1925, was the oldest former Rose Queen to attend the event.
The RAF Falcons sky diving team dropped in to an adjoining field from their Hercules plane overhead, one of the many highlights during the day celebrating 100 years of tradition and history in Goostrey.