Harper Adams parades for the Queen

Posted 18 July 2012

Watch the video on our YouTube channel.

Staff and students represented Harper Adams throughout the ages as part of a pageant organised for the Queen’s visit to Shropshire.

The Shropshire Jubilee Celebrations took part last week at RAF Cosford and welcomed more than 5,000 people to take part in a special parade.

Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, the Queen toured the RAF Museum and airfield before watching the procession alongside 20,000 members of the public.

The pageant team from Harper Adams dressed in costumes ranging from a 1901 farm worker through to a present day student.

They were followed by a Fastrac tractor kindly donated by digger manufacturer, JCB, and driven by University College student 21-year-old Alistair Bourne.

Rural Enterprise and Land Management Lecturer, Simon Keeble, said: “I’m dressed as a 1901 agriculture lecturer.

“I am very honoured to be asked to be part of this pageant, I feel privileged to be here.”

21-year-old Student Eleanor Leivers has recently finished her placement year. She said: “I’m representing the modern age student at Harper Adams.

“I’ve always wanted to see the Queen so it’s been very exciting.”

As well as the pageant, Harper Adams was represented in the ‘Showcase Hangar’ alongside other Shropshire businesses and enterprises.

The Catering Department welcomed people to sample homemade brownies and shortbread, and were also on hand to answer questions about the conference facilities on campus.

Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) had a display to give a picture of what rural businesses across Shropshire do.

Fiona Davies, Growth Manager for WiRE, said: “There are an awful lot of people out there who think ‘I want to start my business, this is something I want to do, I have a burning passion to do something, but don’t know how to go about it’.

“So we have courses to help these people to start their business and there is also our networks to help them to grow their business and move forward.”

Staff from the Harper Adams Marketing and Alumni Departments displayed photographs of Harper Adams throughout the Queen’s reign, including when she visited the campus in the 1950s.

Finally, the Regional Food Academy ran a series of ‘foody’ activities for visitors to take part in. Technical Manager, Martin Anderson, said: “We organised several activities based around sensory, so what can people taste, different flavours and colours, as well as smell and odours.

“As there are so many people here today, I’m proud to represent Harper Adams, the Regional Food Academy and Shropshire as my county, so it’s great to be here at this fabulous event.”