The Red Carpet at the Royal Wedding of William and Kate on 29th April 2011
Gordon Lomond Ltd are Specialist Flooring Contractors based in Essex. On Tuesday 19th April 2011, our Managing Director, received a call from the surveyor of the fabric at Westminster Abbey. With just over a week before the Royal Wedding a red carpet was now required but we would only have between 6pm on the Thursday till 6
am on the Friday to install it. We arranged for samples from three different carpet manufacturers who produced a suitable red carpet and met Jim the following morning to measure the aisle and the area outside up to the pavement beyond the West Gate. The decision was made that the carpet would be Imperial Velvet (Shiraz) by Victoria Carpets. The method of securing the carpet was discussed at length and it was decided that a light adhesive netting would be used in order to secure the carpet to the paving and marble floors in the Abbey as well as across the cobble stones and paving outside. This method ensured that there was no adhesive residue and also facilitated ease of installation and removal. There were further issues regarding the centralisation of the carpet. We needed to create a straight line from the Main Gates across the cobble stones and down the aisle, around the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and on to the High Altar. Since these three focal points are not actually in a straight line, adjustments had to be made and agreed in order to give the impression that the overall line was straight. The weather forecast was not good with rain predicted for the morning of the Wedding. We decided to get the carpet laid outside as soon as possible and protected with a Florprotec “Tac Back” self-adhesive film that could be easily removed just before the guests arrived. The carpet, together with the cutting plans, was sent to our whipping company, KB Whipping, the following day. With a total of almost 1000m of whipping to be done, KB did not have the requisite quantity of yarn in stock and a further quantity had to be sent overnight from Germany. This arrived on the Tuesday and the whipping was finally completed midday on Thursday for us to collect on the way to the Abbey. We had been instructed to get our vans as close as we could to the Abbey’s West Gate. However, when we arrived, a buzz went around that the red carpet had arrived and the crowd surged around the vans, with everyone wanting to touch ‘THE CARPET’. We eventually got the carpets off the vans and into the Abbey and started setting out at about 6 PM. The Gordon Lomond staff was constantly bombarded with requests for samples of the carpet as well as the plastic wrap that was used to protect it. However, we were advised that giving anything to the crowds might lead to fights. Who knew that the carpet would cause such frenzy? The work was completed by 2 am on the morning of the Royal Wedding. We then returned at 7.30 AM to remove the protection in the front and finish 1 metre of carpet where the Main Doors of the Abbey could not clear the carpet. Gordon Lomond Fitters returned again at 4pm after the ceremony and removed the carpet according to our instructions from the Abbey. The staff at Gordon Lomond is proud to have taken part in the preparations for the Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to have been part of this historic event. Gordon Lomond Flooring
Unit 3
15-17 Roebuck Road
Hainault
Essex
IG6 3TU
