Queen’s Brian May at war with parish council over daffodils
Queen guitarist Brian May has surprisingly found himself in a dispute with his local parish council in Surrey over daffodils.
Last year, May thrilled locals of the quaint village of Elsted, where he lives, when he planted a number of daffodils in the grounds of the local church.
While the initial gift to the community was well received, May has been prevented from taking over the village green with daffodils, much to the guitarist’s bemusement.
In response to the decision, May said (per The Times), “We’re struggling to imagine how 18in stalks could obstruct anyone’s view, especially when the green is normally surrounded by parked vehicles, including a 7ft-high ice cream van. For now, we are reluctantly cancelling my orders for the bulbs.”
The Elsted parish council have said they “fully understand that this will be disappointing” for locals who are in support of May’s daffodil plan, but ultimately, their decision stems from safety concerns. It was also rejected due to being deemed an “open space”, which “hosts key community events”.
They clarified, “The council has a responsibility to balance the community initiatives with safety, accessibility and the long-term management of the village green for all users.”
The parish council went on to claim they offered May other locations for his daffodils, which “were not accepted”.
Acting as the community gardener in his Surrey village is seemingly one way that May is occupying his time these days.
Although he remains an active musician, he has not toured since suffering a minor stroke in 2024, which he later described as a “wake-up call”.
Queen currently don’t have any dates in their calendar, but May let slip last September that they are currently locked in talks regarding playing The Sphere in Vegas, stating, “I’m very keen on the Sphere. It’s got my mind working.” However, nothing has yet materialised.
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