HER MAJESTY the Queen is to make a major visit to Manchester later this month as she begins her tour to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee.
At the heart of the visit on 23 March is a very special event to recognise the host of community heroes who make a difference in their neighbourhoods.
Manchester Central is to be transformed into an urban garden party attended by 1,000 of these community champions – dubbed Manchester Diamonds.
The diamond-shaped Jubilee Garden in Albert Square will be a riot of colour with plants, trees, flowering fruit trees
The Queen will also unveil the beautiful Jubilee Garden in Albert Square, which will be a tribute not only to Her Majesty, but also to the army of greenfingered Manchester Diamonds who have created shared gardens across the city.
The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Harry Lyons, said: "It is, of course, an honour and a privilege to welcome The Queen to our city. We are over the moon that she has chosen to make her visit to Manchester one of the highlights of the Diamond Jubilee tour.
"We really wanted to ensure that during this visit The Queen would meet as many Mancunians as possible who have made a contribution to their city – and helped ensure her reign has been such a success.
"The army of volunteers, community champions and people who on a day-to-day basis make a real difference to their neighbourhoods are representatives of what makes Manchester – and this country – great.
"They really are Manchester Diamonds and the opportunity to meet our country’s head of state in such a landmark year is a way of demonstrating that their dedication is recognised at the very highest levels.”
One of the Manchester Diamonds coming to the garden party is 83-year-old Dena Murphy, who has been a Manchester volunteer for many years and has won a string of prestigious awards from Manchester’s Citizen of the Year and Unsung Hero of the Year to top awards from the Royal Horticultural Society for her work on community gardens. She has also been working on the Albert Square Jubilee Garden.
As well as looking forward to the jubilee celebration, Grandmother Dena, from New Moston, also has fond memories of the Coronation.
She said: "I remember the Coronation extremely well. I had a very young child at the time, had planned an afternoon tea for the children and a party for the grown-ups in the street later, but I got called in to work.
"Luckily, I managed to finish early and got home in good time, so June 2 1953 still sticks in my memory as a really lovely day.
"I’m thrilled to bits to be involved in this wonderful event. I have such admiration for The Queen – she is a wonderful woman who has made such an enormous contribution to our country during her reign. To be involved in my own small way in the celebrations really is wonderful.
"I’m also truly delighted that she is coming to Manchester . After all – Manchester always does it best and I am sure she will have a magnificent time.”
Angie Robinson, CEO of Manchester Central Convention Complex, added: "We are absolutely delighted to be part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, and to be hosting an urban garden party at Manchester Central for The Queen.
"It’s a very exciting opportunity for the city and it will certainly be a very proud day in the history of Manchester Central, marking our commitment as a team to establishing the venue as a world class convention complex.”
Manchester Central hard at work last September for the Conservative Party Conference
The Queen will also unveil a plaque to mark the official opening of the redevelopment of Manchester Central.
The diamond-shaped Jubilee Garden in Albert Square will be a riot of colour with plants, trees, flowering fruit trees – as well as vegetables and herbs, all of which are regularly planted and cultivated in our community gardens, allotments and orchards. At its centre, an enormous throne has been has been sculpted from a fallen beech tree from Wythenshawe Park .
Following the visit, the entire garden will be lovingly dismantled and replanted in Exchange Square in time for the Olympics. It will then find a permanent home in the grounds of a Manchester school, with the exception of the throne sculpture, which will be auctioned for the Lord Mayor’s We Love Manchester charity.
As well as visiting the Jubilee Garden, meeting the Manchester Diamonds at the garden party and opening the redeveloped Manchester Central, The Queen will also be having lunch at the Town Hall, opening MediaCityUK and visiting Central Manchester University Hospitals. At the lunch The Queen will be served the best quality local produce in the company of 200 more Manchester Diamonds.
