PICTURES: Union Jack waving crowd enjoy afternoon tea on heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding

Is there anything more British than afternoon tea served on a tram on a warm, sunny spring day on the Fylde coast?
Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Margaret and Peggy Crawford.Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Margaret and Peggy Crawford.
Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Margaret and Peggy Crawford.

That’s exactly what happened when 62 people of all ages clambered aboard the heritage balloon tram to enjoy a smooth ride from Blackpool to Fleetwood.

To celebrate the upcoming Royal wedding, when Prince Harry will marry American actress Meghan Markle, they waved Union flags, knocked back some Prosecco, enjoyed a live music performance, and tucked in a variety of foods.

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The tram, numbered 717 and dating back to December 1934, set off from the North Pier at around noon on Saturday, before pausing on The Esplanade, close to the Euston Hotel, when a smorgasbord of treats was dished up, including muffins, quiche, Victoria sponge and chocolate cake, scones, and tea and coffee.

Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Rachel Ratcliffe and Emma Tingle.Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Rachel Ratcliffe and Emma Tingle.
Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Rachel Ratcliffe and Emma Tingle.

Emma Tingle, business development manager at Blackpool Transport, said: “Everybody had a really good time. We were at Fleetwood for a good hour and a half and, once everybody was fed and watered, we headed back to North Pier where we dropped everybody off.

“The nice weather helped and it was a really good atmosphere.”

Tickets for the event, which came two years after a similar celebration for the Queen’s 90th birthday, cost £20 each, and included a goodie bag. Emma said it was a sell-out.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reception guests will be served classic dishes made from seasonal British produce - much from the Queen’s own estates.

Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Rachel Ratcliffe of Rachel's Yummy Scrummy Cakes.Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Rachel Ratcliffe of Rachel's Yummy Scrummy Cakes.
Afternoon tea served on a Union Jack-clad heritage tram to celebrate the royal wedding. Rachel Ratcliffe of Rachel's Yummy Scrummy Cakes.

Harry and his bride-to-be have tasted and selected their wedding reception menu, which will be created by staff from the royal kitchens at Windsor Castle in the coming days.

The head chef would not discuss the dishes in detail but produce like asparagus, peas and tomatoes are in season - providing a wealth of options for the culinary expert who has worked for some of the world’s best chefs, like Michel and Albert Roux.