THE Weston & Somerset Mercury has reunited three youngsters 30 years after their picture was taken together at the Queen's Silver Jubilee. Following news of a visit to Weston by Her Majesty on July 20, Mercury reporters had been trawling the archives for
THE Weston & Somerset Mercury has reunited three youngsters 30 years after their picture was taken together at the Queen's Silver Jubilee.Following news of a visit to Weston by Her Majesty on July 20, Mercury reporters had been trawling the archives for images of the royals when they found a picture of three girls who met the Queen in 1977, and began a search to find them.Lesley Griffiths, aged 45, is now a property developer and lives in Milton Hill, Weston. Married with two children, Lesley, aged 15 at the time of the photograph, remembers being part of the excited trio who went to meet the Queen when she visited Weston.She said: "We were all very excited and hopeful that we would catch a glimpse of her, so to end up meeting her was amazing."Lesley also revealed another girl in the picture was Janine Allier, who has remained her best friend since she was 11 years old.Also aged 45, Janine, of Lower Kewstoke Road, Weston, now runs her own leather goods business. She said: "When we gave the Queen the huge stick of rock she said 'Good God, what is this?'"We also gave her a card and said a little speech saying thanks for coming which we had written on a paper bag. It doesn't feel like it all happened 30 years ago."Finally a phone call was received from the 'missing'girl in the centre of the 1977 picture.Sue Jackson, now aged 44, of Gordon Road, Weston, was the youngest of the three to meet the Queen. She said: "I remember we decided to get her a stick of rock as well as a card and ended up pushing past a policeman to give our gifts to her. It was a fantastic day that I will never forget.
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