Former Spalding Flower Parade organiser Stephen Timewell and event creative lead Laura Hudson reflect on the 2025 event

Stephen Timewell returned to the town to take a starring role in the 2025 Spalding Flower Parade.

The man who resurrected the event in 2023 — after it had had a ten-year hiatus — donned his showman’s outfit once more to take part in the musicals-themed event on Saturday May 10.

Mr Timewell came up from Dorset, where he and his wife have moved to to care for his mother, the day before and was delighted to play a part. The week before the parade, he and Sandra had been to Buckingham Palace for a garden party as a thank you for his service to the area’s showpiece event.

See all of our 2025 Spalding Flower Parade coverage here

Speaking about the 2025 flower parade, he said: “It’s been an amazing experience and lovely to see the town alive again.

“The volunteers have done an amazing job.”

He’s handed the organisation duties over to a committee of volunteers, who are now building on his legacy.

He added: “I miss the buzz and the excitement and adrenaline but I don’t miss the responsibility.

“I am proud that that little idea three years ago is still going strong.”

Spalding Flower Parade’s creative lead Laura Hudson said the organisers were happy to see the fruits of the labour.

She said: “It has been amazing. I was at the farm at 8am grabbing loads of artificial flowers and checking off the floats, making sure they are perfect.

“It’s not sunk in yet that I’ve designed seven floats.

“A little girl shouted ‘it’s the mermaid’ to me!”

The event costs tens of thousands of pounds to put on — and is a year-round endeavour for the committee, who give up lots of free time to ensure it can go ahead.

Laura added: “People are shocked at the cost of the parade but people want to help.

“It’s money and manpower that is needed.”