Stanley Park: The Festival of Britain Trees

Introduction

The Festival of Britain took place in the summer of 1951 and celebrated the nation’s recovery after WW2. Located mainly on the South Bank of the Thames at Lambeth in London, the site was developed from old Victorian industrial buildings and railway sidings. New structures were built to house exhibitions exploring Britain’s landscape, the British character, British industry and science.

Although the Festival took pride in Britain’s past, most of the exhibits looked to the future. Science and technology featured strongly. In one of the pavilions, many Londoners saw their first ever television pictures.

Blackpool’s commemorations of the Festival of Britain included the planting of the trees in Stanley Park.

Each of the trees has a plaque set on a small stone associated with it. All are presented ‘In Commemoration of the Festival of Britain 1951’.

(Poster & General information about the Festival of Britain was extracted from http://www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk/festival-britain-1951)

Listed in approximate order:

	Tree Name	In English	Presented by:	Photo
1.	Olmus Stricta Wheatleyi	Jersey Elm	Blackpool Chamber of Trade
2.	Quernicus Pendulata	English Oak	The Blackpool Co-operative Society
3.	Prunus Serpulat Shirofugen	Double Pink Cherry	Pelham Mount Club
4.	Taxus Baccata	English Yew	The Blackpool Girl Guides Association
5.	Quercus Pedunculata	English Oak	Blackpool and District Boy Scouts Association
6.			Stone but Plaque Missing
7.			Stone but Plaque Missing
8.			Stone but Plaque Missing
9.	Prunus Lannesiana Erecta	Pink Cherry	Blackpool & District Caledonian Association
10.	Pyrus Aucuparia	Mountain Ash	Blackpool Gentlemans Highland Band James Macfarlane
11.	Pyrus Malus John Downie	Ornamental Crab	Blackpool Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild
12.			Stone but Plaque Missing
13.			Broken Stone and Plaque missing
14.	Prunus Cerasifera Pissardii	Purple Leaf Plum	The Blackburn and District Association
15.	Acer Davidii	Maple	Player’s Welfare Association
16.	Prunus Cerasifera Pissardii	Purple Leaf Plum	National Union of Public Employees Blackpool and District Branch
17.			Badly damaged hidden stone.
18.			Damaged and part hidden stone