The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A horse-drawn hearse led the funeral procession for the man who provided the inspiration for Spalding’s flower parade.
Francis Hanson died, aged 90, at his Spalding home last month.
Dozens of mourners, including wife Barbara, turned out to pay their respects at his funeral, held at Spalding’s Parish Church on Friday.
Parts of the town close to the church came to a halt as the coffin, on board a traditional glass-sided hearse drawn by black horses, made its way along the streets.
Francis was heavily involved with the bulb industry and was awarded an MBE in 2000.
It was as part of his work that he became involved with the town’s Tulip Time committee and after a visit to a Dutch parade, he suggested improvements to the way Miss Tulipland was transported around the district.
His ideas evolved into the flower parade which became such a huge part of the area’s identity.
