MANY Looking Back readers got in touch because they have memories of Princess Anne visiting Weymouth for the town's quatercentenary celebrations in 1971.

June 1 1971 marked 400 years since the boroughs of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis joined together as one.

We heard that the Princess Royal's visit was cut short as unfortunately she was suffering from a heavy cold that day. She did, however, attend a civic lunch at Weymouth Pavilion's ballroom before she departed early by helicopter.

Thanks to Looking Back reader Peter Fry for Bringing in a copy of the menu detailing the lunch served to Princess Anne. We can reveal that she was served chilled melon for starters, then a main of cold scotch salmon, mayonnaise, coleslaw and new potatoes, followed by a dessert of strawberries with cream, followed by petit fours then coffee. A toast was made to the Queen and to Princess Anne herself.

Mr Fry also brought in information about an exhibition of work produced by Weymouth pupils and about the Water Carnival on June 12, which was the big finale to the celebrations.

A news report from the day tells of the thousands of people who admired a 'cavalcade of more than 20 vessels on the sun-drenched waters'.

Every craft in the harbour put out flags and from the Tableux-Vivants show at the theatre and Carnival Queen 21-year-old Elizabeth Aldridge and her two attendants boarded a Royal Galleon. A civic party also boarded the galleon and a floating mayor making ceremony was held.

Also part of the flotilla were two boats that took part in the Dunkirk evacuation, the pleasure steamer Weymouth Belle, boats carrying local sea cadets, a pirate galleon, youth activities centre canoe corps and the Rotary club's entry - a Mississippi paddle steamer.

As the watery procession made its way down the harbour Weymouth Town Band played under the Nothe gardens and the Navy organised a greasy pole competition. There was also a barbecue at the Nothe.

It was organised by the Rotary Club and was reported as an 'impossible dream' come true.

Thanks to Mr Fry for these pictures of the quatercentenary finale.

Looking Back reader Alan Wolsey also got in touch to let us know that he was part of the team of stonemasons responsible for the plaque which Princess Anne unveiled.

Adams and Mitchell, a small stone company based on Portland, made the plaque.

Alan worked for Adams and Mitchell from 1967 to 1971.

Burt Adams and John Sellman of the company attended the unveiling of the plaque by the princess at the new council office at North Quay, Alan said, but he couldn't get the day off and had to work.

Mr Wolsey drew our attention to a YouTube video of Adams and Mitchell which shows himself, Bert Adams, Cecil Durston and John Sellman.

He said: "I was 22 in the video and have got hair a bit like Elvis Presley! Most of the people from Adams and Mitchell are gone now but John Sellman is still around."

Adams and Mitchell began as a company in 1948 and ran until Burt Adams died suddenly. It was then absorbed into other stone companies. The firm was based at Bottom Coombe on Easton - the quarry where the Tesco supermarket is now.

Thanks also to Sylvia Prior of Weymouth, who got in touch as she was one of the performers in Tableaux Vivants - Mismatched - Now Mated - the production Princess Anne was due to watch at Weymouth Pavilion but had to miss as she had a heavy cold.

Mrs Prior, now 92, said: "We were a bit disappointed that the Princess couldn't see it but our attitude was that we were still going to perform whoever was there. At least I had the gratification of having danced on the stage at Weymouth Pavilion!"

Mrs Prior still has a scrapbook of photos from the production, which was specially written to mark the two boroughs of Melcombe Regis and Weymouth coming together in 1571.

"I was in a court scene in the play," she said. "We had to learn how to curtsey to the Princess which we didn't need to do in the end. After the show I remember we walked along the seafront in our costumes and I remember my husband at the time had a video camera and was taking footage of all the specially decorated ships out on the water."