Police plan for
A FASCINATING document has been loaned to the Bugle by John Taylor of Kidderminster, who collects all kinds of historic items relating to his birthplace Stourbridge.
His latest acquisition is a large map of Mary Stevens Park in Stourbridge that was used by the police in planning for the visit of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on April 23, 1957.
The map shows the layout of the park with where the different sections of the crowd were to be, along with special entrances that were set up for the day.
The map also shows the surrounding roads and reveals that many of the houses around the park were named – how many of those names are still in use today?
On the back of the map is a pencilled note giving its provenance:
“Police plan of Mary Stevens Park, Stourbridge, for the visit of H.M. the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, 23 April, 1957. Miss Joan Makin, special constable was on duty and her husbandto-be Harry Jack Haden, chief reporter of the County Express, was present in the Council House and switched on the lights in the glass collection show case for the royal visitors and expanded on the presentation to them of glass made at Stourbridge College of Art.”
The Queen’s visit to Stourbridge was part of a busy itinerary that saw her visit towns across the Black Country. The