“We want a parade, we want it during the May Bank Holiday weekend and we want it to start and finish in Spalding.”
That was the resounding message sounded out at a public meeting on Saturday morning to discuss how to proceed following May 4’s final flower parade.
Around 100 people attended the meeting at Spalding’s South Holland Centre.
The idea of a 2014 weekend event was unanimously supported and an organising committee made up of volunteers from the meeting will now be organised to move plans forward.
Chairing the meeting was local MP John Hayes, who told those attending: “What we want is a new tradition for Spalding and South Holland, built on the history of the flower parade.
“We have got to make this happen.”
The task group of Mr Hayes, Spalding Chamber of Commerce president Phil Scarlett, Free Press editor Jeremy Ransome and Springfields Horticultural Society chairman David Norton presented their rough vision for a future parade before the floor was opened to the crowd.
Passions ran high at times during the two-hour meeting, also attended by parade stalwart and former Lincolnshire County Council deputy leader Eddy Poll, South Holland District Council leader Gary Porter (representing his town ward) and members of other local groups.
It was agreed that churches would continue to hold their flower festivals to coincide with the event.
The long-held tradition of a Queen, Prince and Princess would also be retained.
There would be a shorter, town parade, with the emphasis on local groups, schools and organisations making their own floats and showcasing what they do, rather than on flowers.
There would hopefully be entertainment afterwards such as children’s attractions and live music, to prolong the event into the evening.
District councillor Roger Gambba-Jones said: “We need to learn lessons from what diminished the attraction of the parade for local people. We need to fix the mistakes of the past.”
And Rev John Bennett, of Spalding’s St Mary and St Nicolas Church, said: “Even without a flower parade in 2014, people have already told us they will return for the 26 church flower festivals during Mayday Bank Holiday weekend.
“If the town wants to benefit we must stick with that weekend.”
Replying to criticism of recent parades starting and finishing at Springfields, Mr Norton said he was happy to relinquish that arrangement.
“We simply stepped in because the facilities in town were lost,” he told the meeting.
“And when after-parade events were held in town, hardly anyone turned up.
“But we will gladly pass it on.”
A local market trader told how takings for shops were always down on parade day and explained that stall holders do not attend any more as the market is moved, meaning footfall is down considerably.
Mr Norton, Mr Poll and Mr Porter also explained why the old parade had been axed for financial reasons, how the various expenditure was incurred and how funding was no longer available because of austerity measures passed on to South Holland District and Lincolnshire County councils.