On behalf of the Council and the people of Halton, the Mayor has expressed great sadness at the news of the passing of Her Majesty The Queen.
Cllr Mark Dennett said: “We join the nation and, indeed the world, in mourning the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – the longest-reigning monarch in British history – who has dutifully served our country as Sovereign for over 70 years, having celebrated her Platinum Jubilee earlier this year.
“This is an incredibly sad day. Her Majesty The Queen was incomparable in her devotion to duty, and it cannot be overestimated what she has done for the country and the Commonwealth.
“It is hard to express just how much she will be missed. Her loss will be felt deeply by so many here in Halton.
“We have been very fortunate to have had the honour of hosting a number of memorable visits by Her Majesty to Halton, the last time being the official opening of the Mersey Gateway. During this visit, she gave her time generously to speak to those who had worked to deliver the project and was clearly delighted by the entertaining performance given by our young people.”
As a mark of respect, Halton Borough Council is flying flags at its buildings at half-mast during the period of national mourning.
Books of Condolence have been opened for members of the public to express their sympathies. They are located at:
- Halton Direct Link, Runcorn Shopping City, Runcorn, WA7 2ES, today, 9am to 4.30pm.
- Halton Direct Link, 7 Brook Street, Widnes, WA8 6NB, today 9am to 4.30pm
They will continue to be available during HDL opening hours Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm
- On Saturday 10 September, the books will be available at the DCBL Stadium and The Brindley, 9am to 1pm.
An online Book of Condolence has also been opened at www.royal.uk
Floral tributes may be laid at the following locations:
- Runcorn Town Hall, Heath Road, Runcorn WA7 5TD
- Municipal Building, Kingsway, Widnes WA8 7QF
During the past 50 years Her Majesty has visited Runcorn and Widnes on a number of occasions:
May 1968
The Queen visited Widnes during a tour of the North West, as part of the ‘Operation Springclean’ campaign which aimed to dispel the grimy image of North West industrial towns.
May 1972
Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh visited Runcorn where they found out about development of Runcorn New Town and Shopping City.
November 1979
During a visit to Widnes, Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh were taken to Spike Island where they learned about the history of the site and its reclamation.
August 1998
On her visit to Runcorn, Her Majesty unveiled a restored 1831 clock to officially open the new Halton Partnership Centre.
June 2018
Her Majesty officially opened the Mersey Gateway Bridge, accompanied by HRH The Duchess of Sussex –their first engagement together. During the event they watched a special performance by local school children and met representatives of organisations involved in the Mersey Gateway Project.