WALTHAMSTOW: Queen's visit cost £45,000
8:00am Friday 6th April 2012 in Where I Live By Daniel Binns
The Queen visiting Waltham Forest Town Hall last month.
The Queen's two-hour visit to Walthamstow last month cost taxpayers more than £45,000, it has emerged.
Figures obtained by the Guardian using the Freedom of Information Act reveal the council spent over £11,000 on "grounds maintenance" at the town hall in the run-up to the event, along with £410 on Union Jack flags.
The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh came for lunch at the complex in Forest Road, Walthamstow, on Thursday March 29.
Nearly £1,000 was spent on external decorations, including painting the town hall steps white, which were used for musicians to stand on.
A security guard was also paid £105 to patrol the site the night before the visit.
Further spending, which the council was unable to provide exact figures for, included new crockery and glasses, flowers, extra security, passes, marquees, menus, a seating plan and "curtains and drapes".
All food and drink was paid for by sponsorship organised by the Lord Lieutenancy of Greater London.
Council leader Cllr Chris Robbins hailed the event a great success on the day.
Hundreds of primary school pupils in the borough were invited to the town hall grounds to watch the Queen's arrival and departure.
However the public was not allowed onto the site and the council kept the exact timings and details secret prior to the event.
The visit included a drinks reception in a marquee on a town hall lawn, where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh chatted with councillors, community leaders and charity workers.
It was followed by a lunch in Walthamstow Assembly Hall attended by mayors from London boroughs and other dignitaries.
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Comments(38)
tillytrotter
says...
4:47pm Fri 6 Apr 12
tillytrotter
says...
4:56pm Fri 6 Apr 12
mdj
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5:49pm Fri 6 Apr 12
Sixty years ago the Queen took an oath to serve her people which she has kept impeccably: you don't have to be a monarchist or a Tory to admire that. If this visit reminds some of the local panjandrums, bigwigs, careerists, cronies, placemen, climbers, fawners, jobsworths and backscratchers that they are not the main event, it can only be good for their mental health, and is money well spent for once. It's always fun to watch a 'socialist' bow.
The Stowaway
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7:41pm Fri 6 Apr 12
sensibility
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11:18pm Fri 6 Apr 12
How much was spent on food and drink for all those children who attended or were they just given water or were they given anything at all?
Is money being recouped from the sale of the China now its not needed?
Painting of the steps etc should come under normal maintenance costs but I do agree it could have been done by the Payback Team or other no cost or low cost group.
As for having a marquee, with the rooms and areas within the Town Hall Complex, some of which have lovely wood inside and have been used for films etc why on earth was a marquee required.
With the grounds within Waltham Forest they should have at least one Marquee bought and paid for that they could re use and therefore work out as good value for money.
WCBMI5
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3:02am Sat 7 Apr 12
Fact is, the residents of Waltham Forest got good value for under 20 pence each for a visit from the head of one of the most stable government systems in the world. Compare the cost of our head of state with that of some of the crazy presidents who cannot go anywhere without their numerous bodyguards and armoured limos! She came to an area where gun crime is not unknown and in which dissident elements have been detected from time to time!
At her age she might be excused from visiting some places - I for one wouldn't choose to go to Walthamstow unless I was compelled to do so!
Tom Thumb
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3:14pm Sat 7 Apr 12
The Queen receives £7,900,000 a year from public funds to support the exercise of her duties as head of state of the United Kingdom
Tom Thumb
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3:19pm Sat 7 Apr 12
NDevoto
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4:00pm Sat 7 Apr 12
WCBMI5 wrote:So you wouldn't come here unless compelled? Who's being rude and ungracious now? I am sure your protection should you deign to venture here could be guaranteed for less than 45K!
Seems almost as though the headline "Queen's visit cost £45,000," was specially intended to provoke a crop of rude and ungracious comments!
Fact is, the residents of Waltham Forest got good value for under 20 pence each for a visit from the head of one of the most stable government systems in the world. Compare the cost of our head of state with that of some of the crazy presidents who cannot go anywhere without their numerous bodyguards and armoured limos! She came to an area where gun crime is not unknown and in which dissident elements have been detected from time to time!
At her age she might be excused from visiting some places - I for one wouldn't choose to go to Walthamstow unless I was compelled to do so!
WCBMI5
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6:34pm Sat 7 Apr 12
The great Walthamstow historian the late Dr Percy Hyde Reaney, who in safer times could often be seen walking in the streets of the town, offered as the origin of the name "Walthamstow" the meaning "welcome place!" Doesn't sound very welcoming these days! Nothing rude or ungracious about not wanting to visit Walthamstow in these troubled times - it's simply a matter of self-preservation and not wishing to be insulted, assaulted, shot, stabbed or blown-up!
eyesay
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10:48pm Sat 7 Apr 12
BarryTLemur
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1:08pm Sun 8 Apr 12
mdj wrote:A true socialist in this council mdj? Surely you jest.
One hopes that the grounds maintenance would be part of the usual annual budget, though why anyone would paint stone steps, creating a maintenance problem for ever more, is a mystery.
Sixty years ago the Queen took an oath to serve her people which she has kept impeccably: you don't have to be a monarchist or a Tory to admire that. If this visit reminds some of the local panjandrums, bigwigs, careerists, cronies, placemen, climbers, fawners, jobsworths and backscratchers that they are not the main event, it can only be good for their mental health, and is money well spent for once. It's always fun to watch a 'socialist' bow.
demonmaster1977
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1:47pm Sun 8 Apr 12
BarryTLemur
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4:56pm Sun 8 Apr 12
leyton_man
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9:49am Mon 9 Apr 12
One nice memory from a whole childhood of growing up in a ghetto. It isn't the council's interest to change it of course, as an improved area attracts those that might not vote for them.
Awsomestow may well be very apt for the village area, but just down the road, Hoe St leaves a lot to be desired.
NDevoto
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2:46pm Mon 9 Apr 12
BarryTLemur wrote:Do you think Liz n Phil's funerals are gonna cost us less than 200k?
Putting it in some kind of perspective, Whitney Houston's funeral cost Newark $200,000. Liz and Phil don't seem so expensive now, do they?
Nope, saying something else is more expensive doesn't reduce the original expenditure of this visit. Putting it into "perspective" the NHS costs approx £100 billion - Now this visit doesn't seem quite so expensive does it? So we can of course forget about scrutinizing or questioning its necessity.
BarryTLemur
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2:57pm Mon 9 Apr 12
NDevoto wrote:Who said anything about forgetting to scrutinise or question the necessity of the expense? It was a humorous comment so I have to wonder if perhaps you are in need of subtitles for the hard of thinking.
BarryTLemur wrote:Do you think Liz n Phil's funerals are gonna cost us less than 200k?
Putting it in some kind of perspective, Whitney Houston's funeral cost Newark $200,000. Liz and Phil don't seem so expensive now, do they?
Nope, saying something else is more expensive doesn't reduce the original expenditure of this visit. Putting it into "perspective" the NHS costs approx £100 billion - Now this visit doesn't seem quite so expensive does it? So we can of course forget about scrutinizing or questioning its necessity.
My advice is you get a sense of humour and stop taking yourself so seriously.
Now do one before I taunt you a further time.
eyesay
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2:58pm Mon 9 Apr 12
BarryTLemur
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3:10pm Mon 9 Apr 12
eyesay
says...
4:02pm Mon 9 Apr 12
BarryTLemur wrote:oooooooooooooooh where's your handbag??? we were just having a laugh .... sadly another thing lacking in some residents and contributors to this site ( and I use that term in the loosest posible sense too!)
The only ghetto locally is the intellectual one that many residents of WF and contributors to this site (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) insist on living in.
eyesay
says...
4:06pm Mon 9 Apr 12
eyesay wrote:and before you try to humiliate me ... I know I missed the "s" out of possible ..... that must prove your point!!!
BarryTLemur wrote: The only ghetto locally is the intellectual one that many residents of WF and contributors to this site (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) insist on living in.oooooooooooooooh where's your handbag??? we were just having a laugh .... sadly another thing lacking in some residents and contributors to this site ( and I use that term in the loosest posible sense too!)
BarryTLemur
says...
4:10pm Mon 9 Apr 12
eyesay wrote:I wouldn't dream of humiliating you.
eyesay wrote:and before you try to humiliate me ... I know I missed the "s" out of possible ..... that must prove your point!!!
BarryTLemur wrote: The only ghetto locally is the intellectual one that many residents of WF and contributors to this site (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) insist on living in.oooooooooooooooh where's your handbag??? we were just having a laugh .... sadly another thing lacking in some residents and contributors to this site ( and I use that term in the loosest posible sense too!)
You're doing a perfectly good job of that yourself.
eyesay
says...
4:13pm Mon 9 Apr 12
BarryTLemur wrote:How did I know you would say that? very disappointing.
eyesay wrote:I wouldn't dream of humiliating you. You're doing a perfectly good job of that yourself.eyesay wrote:and before you try to humiliate me ... I know I missed the "s" out of possible ..... that must prove your point!!!BarryTLemur wrote: The only ghetto locally is the intellectual one that many residents of WF and contributors to this site (and I use that term in the loosest possible sense) insist on living in.oooooooooooooooh where's your handbag??? we were just having a laugh .... sadly another thing lacking in some residents and contributors to this site ( and I use that term in the loosest posible sense too!)
BarryTLemur
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4:37pm Mon 9 Apr 12
eyesay
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5:06pm Mon 9 Apr 12
ShinySue
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9:41am Tue 10 Apr 12
BarryTLemur
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9:47am Tue 10 Apr 12
NDevoto
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1:05pm Tue 10 Apr 12
BarryTLemur wrote:Indeed! I think the Monarchy is wonderful! I would gladly sell my house and all its contents to help pay for it.
Hurrah and six figure bonuses all round!
BarryTLemur
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1:08pm Tue 10 Apr 12
Best Regards
Liaquat Ali
Minxey
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6:52pm Tue 10 Apr 12
NDevoto
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10:39pm Tue 10 Apr 12
Minxey wrote:If you're in contact with her can you also pass the bill for 45k to her, for us, cheers!
Next time I'll tell the Queen to boycott Walthamstow because her ungrateful citizens don't want her there
westside_o
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12:40am Wed 11 Apr 12
Biodegradable preferably.
myopinioncounts
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9:53am Wed 11 Apr 12
leyton_man
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10:22pm Wed 11 Apr 12
NDevoto
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1:00pm Thu 12 Apr 12
So we paid for this but were not actually invited nor even allowed to attend. Typical!
leytonoldboy2
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5:43pm Fri 13 Apr 12
BarryTLemur
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7:04pm Fri 13 Apr 12
NDevoto says...
2:15pm Fri 6 Apr 12