WATCH: Jersey's link with English town to blossom again at Battle

Wednesday 09 August 2023

St. Helier and an English market town will once again be saying it with flowers as they forge a new relationship following a 10-year break.

This week’s Battle of Flowers will see representatives from Spalding in Lincolnshire join the parades as part of the St. Helier float, the first such visit in a decade.

The Spalding Flower Parade took place in May for the first time since 2013, when it was halted as a result of funding issues having been an annual highlight in the town for more than 50 years.

A connection between Spalding and St. Helier was first established in the early 1990s, with representatives making annual exchange visits.

Constable Simon Crowcroft said the two towns would restart the exchange with representatives from South Holland, the district where Spalding is situated, making the trip south.

WATCH: Highlights from the 2023 Spalding Flower Parade. (Spalding Today)

South Holland Ambassador Star Perry and her deputy Holly Kendrick will visit Jersey this week, while a reciprocal visit will be scheduled for May 2024 in Lincolnshire.

Mr Crowcroft said: “I am delighted that the Parish of St. Helier has rekindled its historic relationship with the Spalding Flower Parade.

“We look forward to welcoming the South Holland Ambassador and her deputy to the Island and are sure that they will make a wonderful addition to our float for 2023.”

The visit will include a Vin d'Honneur reception at the Town Hall on Saturday.

The Battle of Flowers has a new format for 2023, with the Grand Day Parade moving to a late afternoon Friday slot, and the Moonlight Parade following at dusk on Saturday.

Attractions will include a musical theme as specially-formed 'Fab Four' band 'The Beantles' marking the 60th anniversary of The Beatles' tour of Jersey, and Caribbean band Flagz Mas. The Moonlight Parade will culminate with a drone light display in the skies above St. Aubin's Bay.