BRITAIN’S longest reigning monarch Queen Elizabeth II first visited Wirral in July 1957 as part of her tour of Cheshire.

She travelled to Wallasey Grove Road railway station ahead of a civic reception at Wallasey town hall and was greeted by crowds of people who braved the rain to see the young Queen.

The train arrived at 2.27 pm on July 11, where the Queen was welcomed by the Station Master, Mrs. E. Martin, and the Mayor, Alderman Harry Bedlington and Mayoress, Town Clerk (Mr. A.G. Harrison) and Chief Constable (Mr. John Ormerod) were presented by Lord Leverhulme (Lord Lieutenant of Cheshire) as rain began to fall quite heavily. Despite the break in the weather, however, the five mile route was lined with people practically the whole way

The Queen was driven by Rolls Royce to the town hall where she met Birkenhead’s youngest Mayoress, Blanche Gill.

An estimated 16,000 people lined the route, many of them schoolchildren waving union flags.

According to a report in the local press at the time: “The Queen was particularly interested in the fact that the foundation stone of the Town Hall was laid by her grandfather, King George V, in 1914 and that he had performed the ceremony by remote control in Central Park.

“Prince Philip’s attention was attracted by the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack hanging side-by-side at the top of the main staircase with a plaque commemorating the happy relationship between American servicemen stationed in Wallasey during the last war, and the people of the town.”

In the Civic Hall, the Queen was presented with a bouquet by eight-year-old Ella Dingle and 30 chosen people were presented to the Queen by the Mayor.

Nearly ten minutes later, the Royal couple appeared on the decorated balcony where they stayed for a moment to acknowledge with waves and smiles the warm welcome given to them by the people below.

Both Her Majesty and Prince Philip took a lively interest in everybody who was introduced to them and in everything they saw,” the Mayor told a news reporter afterwards.

On July 16, 1957 the royal party travelled to Port Sunlight for a visit to the Unilever factory. It was the second time a reigning monarch had visited the site: King George V came in 1914 and, whilst there, laid the foundation stone of the Lady Lever Art Gallery in the village. Queen Elizabeth’s father, who would become George VI, had also visited in 1934 when he was still Duke of York.

Stands were put up at various places on the royal route inside the factory gates, and over 5,000 employees were there to see the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. The royals had a tour round various departments on site, talking to employees about their work, before moving on to see the Lady Lever Art Gallery.

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were also presented with a casket of company products and a book about the history of the village.