With the fun and frolics of the royal wedding receding, Marlborough’s mayor, Councillor Andrew Ross, heaped praise on the small army of town councillors and volunteers who made it a day to remember.
The party atmosphere was great and there was a real buzz about the place,” the Mayor told Marlborough News Online as the celebrations ended with a barn dance in Priory Gardens. “People seemed to know that the whole country was celebrating a royal event, one that for us had real local links with the town.”
Few us ever thought that one of the students from Marlborough College might find herself marrying a royal prince, and perhaps one day take her place on the throne. But I doubt if Kate Middleton did when she was studying here in Marlborough before going to university and meeting Prince William.”
And he added: “Our events were very much a last-minute affair, led by special committee set up by the Town Council, which has never done anything quite like this before. The result was unbelievable because of the combined help of small band of people, who worked extremely hard.”
“I want to thank everyone involved for their tremendous support and hard work in making the occasion such a success – a real day of romance, pageantry and fun to remember.”
The day began, writes Pete Davison, with life-sized effigies of Prince William and Kate Middleton greeting visitors to Marlborough Town Hall for the screening of the Royal Wedding and the start of the town’s celebrations.
More than 100 members of the public chose to spend the occasion at the Town Hall – and for the town council the event marked the unveiling of its new state-of-the-art cinema screen and sound system.
Most dressed for the occasion – some ladies wore posh frocks and hats, other people were decked out in patriotic red, white and blue. There was much coo-ing at Kate’s Sarah Burton dress and a few tears during the vows.
Like any wedding, there were pre-event nerves and a few hiccups – as guests started to arrive at Westminster Abbey, Marlborough’s television reception decided to intermittently cut out.
Thankfully, by the time Kate was escorted through the Abbey door by her father, uninterrupted coverage had been resumed.
In town, those traders who had opened were reporting a sluggish trade, but many were doing what they could do entice shoppers through the doors.
In the afternoon, the attention turned to the Priory Gardens where a party was held for the town’s children in a giant marquee, with a show by entertainer Roy’s Magic.
More than 120 children soon arrived for a bonanza tea party, scoffing Greggs sausage rolls, Tesco provided sandwiches and Waitrose cakes.
They proved more than anything that they had energy galore to go on a royal rampage as they enjoyed jumping down a huge helter skelter and were on their bottoms in a blown-up Bouncy Castle. And volunteer sixth form students from St John’s School helped to make the afternoon a hit.
The same energy was evident in the evening as more than 100 people took part in a royal barn dance after consuming beef burger rolls and queuing for much in demand hog roast baps at a barbecue.
The delicious hog, which had been provided by the Austrian Count Konrad de Goethe, proprietor of Temple Farm, near Rockley, had been slowly roasted all afternoon in preparation for them.
Even the Mayor helped out behind the bar during the royal day. The last two barrels of Ramsbury brewed Will I Do beer were consumed, together with fizzy celebratory wine.
“I didn’t get home until well after midnight – and totally exhausted,” the Mayor revealed.
