It was to be Queen Victoria's eightieth birthday and the City Council, as reported in The Express and Echo, 10th May 1899, was considering where in the city might best be fired a Royal salute and where the national anthem might be played by a military band and where the Mayor and Corporation might attend in State.
The Mayor said: "The whole thing could be got over in half an hour, and he thought it would be a function which would be appropriate....
"Councillor FULFORD moved and Alderman WREFORD seconded that the use of Northernhay be granted for the purpose.
"Councillor PERRY did not like to throw cold water on a suggestion coming from the Mayor, but he asked the Council to consider whether, having spent a large sum of money on Northernhay and having now made it look exceedingly well, that was the best site for the purpose. He feared serious damage to the grounds as the result of having horse artillery there and armed men marching about. He suggested the Castle Yard as a more fitting place.
"It was explained that the guns would be taken by hand, and the SURVEYOR (Mr. Cameron) said he anticipated no damage."
Nevertheless, it was not to be at Northernhay but at Belmont that the Council decided Exeter would celebrate the Queen's birthday.
But how impressive seems the solicitude which the City Council of the year 1899 is reported to have shown for the exceedingly well-looking Gardens on which they had spent a large sum of money. I wonder if the consequences of the closing of Northernhay to the public for three months to serve as a winter wonderland and then as a plastic dinosaurs' parking lot were so carefully considered by today's Exeter City Council?
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