Members of the royal family have visited South Canterbury several times. At the 1954 visit, Sherson stood in line to meet the royals as they walked through Ashbury Park. “I was a leftenant in the Armoured Corps back in the CMT[Compulsory Military Training] days,’' Sherson said. Gordon Bower/Supplied This photo was taken by Gordon Bower, as the royals left Timaru going south. The people waving were the late George Johnson, and his daughter Marleen, now Marleen Shewan. “I was the 2IC of the local corp.’’ He said he was "very proud’' to be in line to meet the Queen and Prince, and even prouder when he realised a commercial photographer at the time had captured the moment he saluted the Duke.