Olga Price was already feeling like a winner when Llandudno Mayor Councillor Carol Marubbi complimented her on her lovely borders and presented her with the Gold Award she’d won in the North Wales’ resort’s annual floral competition.
For proudly watching Olga collect her fourth consecutive Llandudno In Bloom certificate was her youngest daughter Victoria, who had flown in from New Zealand for a family get-together and holiday.
Travelling with Victoria were her husband Todd, who is Commercial Manager for Mainpower, an electricity distribution company, and their three children, William 15, Sophia 14 and Allegra aged 12.
Victoria, 48, left the UK for Christchurch 11 years ago on completion of her Naval career at HMS Sultan where, as a Surgeon Commander, she was the training base’s Principal Medical Officer.
Her final sea-going appointment was in HMS Newcastle, a Type 42 destroyer which was visiting ports on the west coast of Africa, including Lagos where she met her Kiwi husband-to-be Todd, before heading for the Falkland Islands and the celebrations to mark the 20th Anniversary of Liberation following the Argentine invasion. The ship then headed for the east coast of South America and on to the Caribbean, calling at Barbados where Victoria was reunited with her parents who were on holiday.
Victoria now works as a GP doctor based in the medical centre at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch.
“It was a real bonus to have Victoria with me as I received my fourth award,” said Olga, “and David and I were delighted to have all the family together in Llandudno after such a long time.”
RNPA member David and Olga are regular visitors to New Zealand and are presently planning their next trip to stay with Victoria and family in the Land of the Long White Cloud.