Chauffeur Fred – and memories of Princess Di
FORMER Sefton mayoral chauffeur Fred McCann has recalled visits from the late Princess Diana to Southport.
The 70-year-old recalls the Princess of Wales being very kind-natured and open during her visits and always being extremely cordial to those involved in her visit.
Now retired, Fred lives in Southport with his wife of 47 years, Margaret.
He recalls his time as a mayoral attendee fondly and remembers the royal visits to Southport as ‘some of the best on the calendar.’
Princess Diana made her first official visit to the seaside town 26 years ago, on September 11, 1990. She strolled around Tesco on Town Lane in Kew to talk to shoppers and offer them advice about healthy eating.
Fred explained to the Visiter that during a royal visit the cars had to be immaculate as protocol stated that if the royal car broke down, the mayor would offer the princess his car.
Although this never happened he mentioned that this particular visit would not have been ideal: “We had an accident, of sorts. I took the car to Bootle Town Hall, cleaned, polished, shined it. You could see your face in it.
“We were driving along behind a lorry carrying cement mix, it hit a bump in the road and the bag fell off the lorry. We came out the other side in a white car instead of a black one.”
Another famous visit to Southport in 1992 saw Princess Diana become emotional and break down in tears after opening Queenscourt Hospice in Kew.
The princess was chatting to Southport man Bill Davidson, who was chairman of the organisation during the royal visit and campaigned tirelessly for funds to create the hospice, when she broke down in tears.
Fred remembers her looking particularly tired during that visit: “She looked like she had been up the entire night before. She looked exhausted.
“It was this day she annouced that she was withdrawing from public life. A real blow to the people of Southport. They loved her.”
He says that when she made the shocking annoucement, the penny didn’t drop for him straight away: “I don’t think people really knew what that meant, either that or, like me, they were shocked. The princess had put Southport on the map.”
Mr McCann drove for multiple mayors during his time as a mayoral attendee and said that royal visits kept everyone lively and on their toes: “It was a lot of pressure, making sure we were always ahead of them to greet them at each venue. It was a lot of fun though, the royals were always very pleasant, they’re just like us.”
Without mentioning his favourite visit, Fred recalls a visit in when Prince Andrew asked him did he have any jokes.
“He said, You’re from Liverpool right? You must know some good jokes I could use while I’m here. I never did recieve any royalties, he probably still uses them!”