The Queen at 90: Her Majesty in Shropshire

Indeed some of those grey and grainy pictures yet which are so special, stand testament to another age, more than half a century ago.

They were all of their time and all help tell the story of a much loved princess, then monarch who had delighted thousands she has met down the years. Including right here in Shropshire.

Indeed the most recent was labelled as 'one of the county's most successful and joyful days' when Her Majesty flew into RAF Cosford in 2012.

And it was not without good reason that Shropshire's Lord Lieutenant, now Sir Algernon Heber-Percy talked of his delight after presiding over what he called 'one of the county's most successful and joyful days'.

It was the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year and jubilation certainly proved to be the theme.

As her representative in the county, Sir Algernon headed up the organising group which I was delighted to be part of and hosted the Sixty Glorious Years celebration at RAF Cosford to mark the Jubilee.

And it truly was a case of smiling through for up to 30,000 visitors but starting with the sun.

Even the day before, there had been concerns about terrible weather jeopardising the occasion but all proved better than anyone could have hoped for.

The sun appeared for just that one precious day and the two-and-a-half-hour visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh with the half-a-mile pageant and thousands of children, telling Shropshire's story of the six decades, was an unqualified success.

It was also a day which the royal couple appeared to thoroughly enjoy, as they flew in to the base.

The Queen reported that she was amazed by the number of coaches she could see which had brought in the children.

Sir Algernon says: "We were left with really good memories of a very special day. Children and young people and many others came from all over the county to make the occasion such a good one."

And the icing on the cake was the message the county received almost as soon as the party ended.

It said: "Her Majesty and his Royal Highness were grateful for the warm reception they received at the RAF Museum and were most appreciative of the thoughtful gifts presented to them during the visit.

"The reception in the Cold War Hangar was an innovative and enjoyable addition to a wonderful day.

"The pageant lent the day a celebratory atmosphere and the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh enjoyed the displays and ideas that made up the pageant and were delighted to share the day with all those who attended the event."

So Cosford was good, ok?

Though interestingly, so was the Wolves football ground Molineux right back in May 1962 when an earlier crowd of 30,000 was present to see the Queen presenting new colours to the Fifth Battalion South Staffs Regiment, and other military units including the Staffordshire Yeomanry and the North Staffs Regiments.

And bless her royal heart, Her Majesty even apologised for damaging the turf with her high heels!

The Queen also visited Dunstall Park to officially open the £13.5 million racecourse which surely she as an avid racegoer, as well as many of our readers, must have thoroughly approved.

Then in May 2000, the Queen gave the £21 million New Art Gallery her royal seal of approval cheered on by a 3,000-strong crowd.

Back in Shropshire, the Queen was in or around the county and made several visits to Shrewsbury School – even pre-marriage.

So over 60 or so years, she has returned to see us right back from the 1940s – before she was Queen, of course.

For me, the first of these big occasions locally following the Queen was the opening of Shrewsbury's Shirehall in 1967 to house the then Shropshire County Council. I was not only very young but also very aware of the responsibility to do the occasion and the county proud.

In October 1952 the by then Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh returned to Shrewsbury to open a new terrace at Shrewsbury School. There the royals were greeted by the headmaster and highly amused by a science experiment!

The royal couple returned to Shrewsbury yet again on 24 October 1967, this time to officially open the new, futuristic looking Shirehall, to be the new accommodation for Shropshire County Council and now, nearly 50 years on, it is of course destined for a very different future.

There have been so many magical, joyful, sad, momentous occasions since then which I've been so privileged to attend, the weddings, the funerals, the great jubilees, state occasions, parties at the palace and of course, memorable visits when we have welcomed the Queen to Shropshire, Mid Wales and the borders.

Shropshire has had the opportunity to see her on our home soil regularly including a happy visit just after the Coronation itself.

The new Shirehall opening was the first big 'royal following' occasion locally for me and I well remember standing on the stairs of the smart new building as the line up formed in the foyer to greet Her Majesty.

I also remember this.

An anxious young man was still busying himself with a yellow duster, making sure there was not one speck left to be seen. In a panic and not knowing what on earth to do with the duster as the Queen reached and met his little group, he quickly put the cleaning cloth behind his back in his left hand and shook the royal hand with his right.

It was quick thinking for sure and had she twigged, the Queen would doubtless have agreed!

Though the miles of duster and acres of polish which go in to preparing for a royal visit must result in many a tennis elbow (or similar).

And in June 1980 it was the turn of Staffordshire to roll out the red carpet for the Queen when she visited Saxon Hall School in lovely Lichfield and did what many of our readers will have done – took a tour of Shugborough Hall, the ancestral home of her cousin, leading photographer Lord Patrick Lichfield who died from a stroke in 2005.

Perhaps with a little shopping in mind, Her Majesty also opened the newest phase of Telford Shopping Centre in 1981 and, in 2003, there was a happy post-Golden Jubilee visit through our county for the royal couple as they took in Telford, – including the Iron Bridge – Craven Arms and Ludlow.

And for so many years, The Queen was attended by her senior lady-in-waiting and friend, Kathryn Dugdale who lived at Tickwood Hall, Much Wenlock.

Sadly, the by then Lady Dugdale, died shortly after the Golden Jubilee celebrations and Her Majesty was honourably represented at the Much Wenlock funeral of her close friend and support of so many years.

The Dugdales – Sir John was Lord Lieutenant during the 1990s – were hosting the royal guest on one famous visit and I was invited to tea to meet the family and interview Lady Kathryn before the royal visit, which was a privilege indeed.

And of course the one thing left to say is the our Queen is always welcome to come and see us.