Mayor tells of storm terror at the Palace

From the Lancashire Evening Telegraph, first published Wednesday 24th Jul 1996.

THE Mayor of Blackburn today told how she was seconds away from being struck by the potentially lethal lightning bolt which yesterday brought terror to a Buckingham Palace garden party.

Councillor Mary Leaver and her party had just moved away from the point of impact when the fork of electricity slammed into a tree, injuring two women sheltering from the storm.

And today she described the event as "absolutely horrendous".

The injured women guests spent last night in hospital after being knocked unconscious as lightning struck just yards from the Queen.

They both suffered shock and burns but were expected to be released today.

More than 8,000 people, including civic leaders from across East Lancashire, were at the strawberries and cream event which opened in sweltering sunshine.

But shortly after 4pm the storm broke and hundreds ran for cover.

Coun Leaver, who travelled to the palace with Consort Keith Ladd and secretary Graham Brunton, said: "It was terrifying.

"We didn't see the lightning strike but certainly heard it.

"It was like a huge bomb going off. We had only seconds earlier moved away from the point of impact."

The only East Lancashire mayors not at the event were Clitheroe's Coun Stephen Holt and Hyndburn's Coun Mirza Yousaf, who attended a garden party last week.

Today Coun Yousaf spoke of his relief at missing the storm.

He said: "My daughter and I were disappointed that we had travelled on our own last week when we realised other civic leaders would be at the palace this week.

"But now we feel extremely fortunate that we missed yesterday's events."

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