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The managing director of a North East independent builders’ merchants has welcomed Her Majesty The Queen to Sunderland.
Anne Ganley, managing director of Thompson Building Centres and TAPS was invited by Sunderland City Council to be part of the official welcome party when the Queen started her official Diamond Jubilee tour of the North East.
The Port of Sunderland was transformed into an exhibition covering every decade of the Queen’s reign, with Ganley presiding over the 1970s display and introducing the Royal couple to council leaders and other dignitaries.
Ganley was selected because of the company’s strong bond with the city and the area near the port in particular, which is close to Thompson’s headquarters and where it has its roots.
“It was a huge honour to be the only business person in the city to be asked to take part in such a historic occasion,” she said.
“It was very special to me that I showed Her Majesty the 70s section of the exhibition which covered her silver jubilee year and it was also the time when I started to work at Thompsons.”
