Queen's Visit

Queen's Visit
19-05-2012

Not sure if it's worthy of it's own thread, but thought I'd ask if there are any interesting tales to tell from Her Majesty's visit yesterday? I seem to think one or two zoo chatters may have been there?? The video footage of her visit is not very revealing. Was it considered a success? Was there much media interest? Was it worth all the build up?! What exactly did she see?

Any comments or info welcomed.

19-05-2012

The Queen and the Duke saw anything that was visible from the monorail, the Queen then visited the Tsavo rhino house, and the Duke visited the elephants.

Members were positioned along the path between the bears and vicunas. We had a brief glimpse of the Royal party as they passed by in the union flag liveried monorail.

Many Members expressed disappointment with the choice of the viewing area, it would appear that a better view of the Royals would have been obtained from the car park by the Diamond Jubilee Quarter.

Members saw nothing of the official opening or the entertainment on offer.

It was worth it for the publicity generated. I have no idea how much media attention was generated, I would suspect a lot.

The zoo opened to the public at approximately 11.05.

The Sun managed to report that the Queen had been to see a pair of white rhinos at Chester zoo.

19-05-2012

It made it onto the (American) MSNBC news feed we get at work, so if exposure was part of the idea then it looks like it worked.

19-05-2012

Were all members invited? I received two invitations (!) but my wife (a life member ... ooooh!) didn't receive anything. I concluded from that that my invitation wasn't as a member, but perhaps I was wrong.

The regional TV coverage was disappointing, to say the least!

19-05-2012

Apparently invitations for members were limited to the first 500 by years of membership. I've been a member for 36 years.

By co-incidence I stood next to the same person I stood with when the Princess of Wales visited in 1989.

19-05-2012

I have to say I was very disapoijnted with the coverage in the west midlands as there was virtually non at all just a mention in passing in fact.
I would have liked to have seen more if not for me for the zoos sake

19-05-2012

The sooner we get rid of this free loader and her kin the better.

19-05-2012

I know a number of members - some of them lifetime - who have contributed over many years to the zoo who feel snubbed by the lack of an invitation, but personally I couldn't care less as I don't approve of all the unnecessary expense, and especially now having learnt the ridiculous location where those who did attend had to stand. I'm a bit gutted at missing the gawdy butterfly (what were they supposed to be?) dancers though!

The local news coverage wasn't anything special and the zoo was somewhat upstaged by the royal party's trip on the Yellow Duck Marine in Liverpool.

Did anyone watch the live video feed? The video on the zoo's website is terrible.

19-05-2012

Did anyone watch the live video feed? The video on the zoo's website is terrible.[/QUOTE]

I watched the live feed the camera kept getting blocked by people and Union Jack flags, also when she went on her monorail tour we got zoo conservation videos!
we attended the zoo in the afternoon as it had stated the garden party atmosphere was going to carry on with dancing groups and such.....we saw nothing at all!!! It was like the Queen had never been

20-05-2012

Thank you for that - still not sure why I got two invitations though!

As my membership no is 1135 I think I'm well into the 500 longest membership, but I would have thought Mrs SZ (1635) would also have qualified.

Not that I'd be particularly bothered.