Parade emcee DJ Skooch informed the crowd the band has alumni spanning eight decades, including some who played in the 350th anniversary parade. Peter Abbott OBE, British consul general to New England, and his family. Joining the ex-Royal Navy sailors were representatives of the 13,500-ton, 432-foot-long HMS Scott, a deep ocean survey vessel that ported in Portsmouth on Friday with the help of tugboats, along with Dr. “Portsmouth has really elevated and is living up to its colonial past and heritage,” she added. Wearing a sash, Keyes-Brant was escorted through downtown in a red sports car, recognizing her title as a former member of the Queen's Court. “My grandmother hoped I’d end up with Charles,” Keyes-Brant quipped.įorty-eight years after their union, the couple, now living in Arizona, were given the opportunity to march in Portsmouth’s 400th anniversary parade, a city they haven’t returned to often since their introduction 50 years ago. The two were introduced, and 16 months later, they were married. With his shipmates, the Englishman attended a cocktail party ahead of the 350th anniversary parade, where he spotted Ellen Keyes, a Portsmouth resident and member of the Queen’s Court for the celebration. Everyone was so welcoming.”Ĭhris Brant was a Royal Marine lieutenant on the Minerva in 1973. “It was a lovely day, and off we went,” Stacey remembered of the 350th parade. That’s where the pair became good friends, and ever since, they meet up every year. On Saturday, the two recalled how in 2008, then-Prince Charles III held a gathering for old Minerva crewmen, which both attended. The Minerva’s William Stacey, then a junior seamen, and Mike Golden, then a junior electrical mechanic, had not returned to Portsmouth since 1973. Brogden.įifty years later, a number of his HMS Minerva shipmates reunited and walked in the 400th anniversary parade, carrying a banner stating King Charles regretfully could not be in Portsmouth. and old Portsmouth, England Lord Mayor John P.N. The prince took in the parade from a viewing platform beside former city Mayor Arthur Brady Jr. That year, then-Prince Charles III and crew members from the HMS Minerva sailed into Portsmouth Harbor and took part in the celebration. Visitors from across the pond were represented in the parade, much as they were for Portsmouth’s 350th parade in August 1973. “One of my favorite things about it is that we will have five models in dresses handmade with real silk and flowers that connect with Portsmouth's history,” Wheeler said ahead of the parade. The float made nods to the Memorial Bridge, the famed riverfront salt pile, hops to symbolize the Portsmouth beer industry, purple lilacs - New Hampshire’s state flower - and cherry trees, a gift to the city from Japan after the signing of the Portsmouth Peace Treaty formally ended the Russo-Japanese War in 1905. without parkingĭenise Wheeler, a parade organizer, headed efforts to make the anniversary group’s float in partnership with renowned area horticulturist John Forti. More local news: Downtown micro apartments coming to Portsmouth. Giving tribute to the city’s charm, the official 400th anniversary float was named: “History in Bloom, an ode to the preservation of Portsmouth’s natural and architectural beauty, 1623 to 2023 and beyond.” “I’m just absolutely dumbfounded that so many people seem to remember me,” she said. Person after person approached Griffin, seated in the passenger side of the bus prior to the parade, to shake hands and reminisce. She has served on the Portsmouth School Board, Police Commission and the Portsmouth Housing Authority board, and held elected offices as a state representative, state senator and a 20-year New Hampshire Executive Council member. Ruth Griffin, 97, referred to often as a city matriarch for her many leadership roles, was in the parade aboard a Volkswagen bus. I'm reconnecting with old friends,” Jack Blalock said. Something like celebrating your hometown being 400 years old is just cool. It makes me very proud to be a citizen of Portsmouth for my whole life and having been involved with terrific people with the city. “It’s why I’ve lived here all my life.”īefore the procession began, in a parking lot full of familiar faces, Blalock, whose son Rich Blalock serves on the present City Council, reconnected with an old peer from their grade school days. “These are great people I’ve worked with,” Connors said. In the winter, Connors informed Newington residents that he would not seek reelection to the town's Board of Selectmen. Now 86 years old, the former Portsmouth and Newington municipal leader was the oldest mayor on the float. When he was mayor decades ago, Connors was considered to be America's youngest-elected mayor. Stay connected to your local news: Follow local news on the Seacoastonline mobile app or the mobile app
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