2023-01-30 15:36:51
The then Prince Charles (now King Charles) throwing streamers and balloons from the Royal Box and cannons going off in the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool may sound like the stuff of urban legend but newly discovered archive material shows them to be very real.
The extraordinary events took place in the 1970s and 1980s when a group of people in Formby, near Liverpool, got together to organise a spin-off of The Last Night at the Proms to raise funds for The Lydiate in Willaston, a service for learning disabled adults run by the charity, Hft (then known as Home Farm Trust).
The concerts, called “Not a Last Night of the Proms”, took place each year between 1978 and 1987 and were usually attended by members of the Royal Family, including King Charles, Princess Anne and the Duke of Kent.
When Simon Wolf and his sister, Katy Wolf-Gowing, were sorting through their father, Adrian’s, belongings following his death in March 2021, they found memorabilia connected to these events. Adrian was part of a prominent jewellery family business based in Merseyside and he, together with his wife Pamela, joined the organising committee of The Friends of the Lydiate, formed from a group of friends, one of whom had a child living at The Lydiate.
Simon explains: “Dad knew King Charles from their school days together at Gordonstoun. Because of his connections, Dad was not only involved in persuading members of the Royal Family and other prominent guests to attend, but also in finding advertising for the official programme.
“I remember that King Charles attended in 1981, the year he got engaged to Diana Spencer, so that generated a lot of media interest,” he recalls.
Katy takes up the tale: “We were both very young at the time and I recollect wandering into the green room during the event most years and someone saying hello to us who we were later told was notable or royalty. One year it just happened to be ex-King Constantine of Greece who passed away recently! We were often required for photoshoots which we found rather boring and tiresome.
“I remember that Dad was involved with choices of music and the security, which would have appealed to him. He usually sat in the Royal Box when he wasn’t pacing the hall, unable to sit down! It was one of those events where no one could relax until it was over,” she says.
“The concerts were hugely popular at the time and, in those days, fundraising like that didn’t happen, especially in Liverpool, which is why it caused quite a stir,” explains Simon.
“My dad went completely over the top in everything he did and this was no exception.”
Among the documents Simon and Katy came across are minutes of meetings, details of the Royal visit planning, notes from York House to guide the organisers to prepare for a visit by the Duke of Kent (“HRH sometimes likes a Vodka and Tonic to drink before a meal”) and concert programmes.
Another anecdote comes from the first concert in 1980 where real cannons were fired in the hall as part of a regimental army band. However, the vibrations caused accumulated debris to fall from the fluted ceiling of the Hall which covered the audience in dust.
“The dry-cleaning bills would have wiped out all the profit if Prince Charles hadn’t commented light-heartedly on it afterwards, ensuring that everyone felt too guilty to put in a complaint or bill,” explains Simon.
The concerts proved so popular that Granada Television (now ITV) broadcast the highlights of the 1980 event as an hour-long “Celebration Special”.
Records from the organising committee show that 1987 was to be the last concert and was attended by The Princess Royal, who became the Patron of Hft in 1982.
Although the concerts came to an end, Adrian continued to support Hft via Mindme, a company he founded to develop GPS personal alarms for vulnerable people. The company, now run by Simon and Katy, donates products to Hft’s Personalised Technology team to this day.
Says Hft’s Personalised Technology Project Co-ordinator, Ben Williams: “Mindme is something we promote to people as a solution to keep people safe and offer reassurance while supporting their independence to go out on their own.
“Adrian was always really supportive of Hft and was keen to keep working with us, a view which Simon and Katy are continuing.”
Notes to editors
For further information please email media.enquiries@hft.org.uk
About Hft
Proudly established in 1962 by a group of visionary parents, Hft is a charity supporting more than 2,500 learning disabled adults in England and Wales. Together, we are creating a future where learning disabled people and their families can live the best life possible.
Providing personalised support. Creating solutions for living independently. Coming together to campaign for positive change. Fundraising for new opportunities and a bigger impact.
In 2033, we’ll live in a world where learning disabled people have greater choice. About where they live. The support they need and want. And how to spend their time and money.
Learning disability versus difficulty
A learning disability is different from a learning difficulty but the terms are often confused and used inter-changeably. A learning difficulty does not affect general intellect, whereas a learning disability is a life-long condition characterised by a reduced intellectual ability and struggle with everyday activities.
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For more information about Hft please visit www.hft.org.uk
