Spalding Flower Parade returns with millions of tulips on show

Millions of tulips were donated by a farmer after the 1950s flower parade was reincarnated by a determined rural community

Millions of blooms have been cut for a famous flower parade which is being held for the first time in a decade.

The annual Spalding Flower Parade began in 1959, but was abandoned after the 2013 event due to costs.

Stephen Timewell said he revived the parade after a comment he made about bringing it back was "misconstrued".

The parade through the town on Saturday has been paid for by crowdfunding which raised £78,000.

The festival was previously an annual event to celebrate South Holland's flower industry, organiser Stephen Timewell said

Mr Timewell said at a jubilee event in Spalding in 2022 he made a tongue-in-cheek comment about "bringing the parade back" after people complained "nothing ever happens in Spalding".

"Someone then posted on social media that the parade was coming back. That went viral and so I was left with no choice," he said.

Many of the original floats, which were used in the parade in the 1970s and 1980s, have been restored by a team of volunteers after being found in council yards, garden centres and in fields covered in brambles.

Mr Timewell told the BBC one float had even been found with "a tree growing through it".

The original floats have been restored and will be covered with tulips

"The festival was held to celebrate South Holland's flower industry, but the tulip industry in the area gradually died out and towards the end of the parade's life they were actually importing flowers from Holland," Mr Timewell said.

The floral event is woven into the history of the area and was a feature of many childhoods.

Care home resident Jean Laver said she had enjoyed throwing pennies at the Parade Queen's float years ago.

Ms Laver said: "I feel so happy about it. We're going out there when it comes past and I'll jump for joy, "

Those who once enjoyed the parade have helped prepare for the event's rebirth

Mr Timewell said the flower parade had always been a part of South Holland's heritage and "when it stopped people across the country were devastated".

"But at the end of the day the cost to run a parade like this is so big, it was a huge burden on the council and I'm not surprised that they just couldn't afford to fund it anymore, so it fell by the wayside," he said.

The original floats have been restored with one found in woodland with a tree growing out of it

The millions of flowers, which are a by-product of producing tulip bulbs, are classed as waste. So the Norfolk farmer who grew them donated each and every one of them to this year's Spalding Flower Parade.

The event has been brought into the modern era Mr Timewell said with inclusion of Star Wars storm troopers and "even a mobile nightclub for the youngsters".

"We've had hundreds of volunteers to make this happen, its really brought the community together," he said.