When planning an event, it’s important to plan for the unexpected. No matter how badly you try there are bound to be a few things to go wrong. Bill Shead was the mayor of Selkirk during Selkirk’s 1982 Centennial. During this celebration Princess Anne came with the Tenth Earl of Selkirk. In a video interview, Shead tells a story about a mishap that occurred during the 1982 Centennial.
The MS Lord Selkirk was still in operation at this time and was chosen as the location for a luncheon for the Princess and other guests. Around 60 people gathered in the dining room while Princess Anne stepped away to freshen up in another room. That night’s dinner was supposed to be Goldeye but unfortunately there was a last-minute change, and the Princess was served Pickerel. Other than this hiccup there wasn’t anything else that went wrong with the meal. Everyone enjoyed themselves and the company of the Princess. But there was more to the story that Shead found out later. The cook in charge of the dinner had gotten so nervous while preparing the meal that he got into the cooking wine. The cook was taken out of the kitchen by the Chief Steward because the chef had turned the kitchen upside down. The meal that was served was prepared by a health inspector and a doctor completely from scratch.
Fortunately for the Princess she had a wonderful visit to Selkirk and the rest of Manitoba. At the time it must have been a stressful situation but in the interview Shead is seen smiling and laughing about the cooking misadventure. If the Princess visits Selkirk again, hopefully she will get to taste the Goldeye she was supposed to be served in 1982.
