The parade celebrated the region's vast tulip production and the cultural links between the Fens and the landscape and people of South Holland.

Will Wand - Professional rugby player for Leicester Tigers Archaeological excavations at Wygate Park in Spalding have shown that there has been occupation in this area from at least the Roman period,[2] when this part of Lincolnshire was used for the production of salt.

At Wygate Park salt-making seems to have come to an end by the mid-7th century BC climatic change and flooding may have made such activities difficult, causing the practice to die out.

They may have retained their administrative independence within the Kingdom of Mercia into the late 9th century, when Stamford became one of the Five Boroughs of the East Midlands under Danish control after years of invasion and occupation.

Other information Phillimore reference: Lincolnshire 57,54 In John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887), Spalding was described as a: market town and par.

Spalding is an important railway centre, while the river has been made navigable to the town for vessels of from 50 to 70 tons.

It is in a rich agricultural district, and has a large trade, by river and by rail, in corn, wool, coal, and timber.

There are remains of a priory of 1501, a fine old church (restored 1860), a grammar school, a corn exchange, and a spacious market place.

In July 2005 a "Spalding Water Taxi" service was launched, running from Easter to late October.

Its route is from just off Spalding's High Street, upstream along the river, turning into the Coronation Channel, and then to Springfields Outlet Shopping & Leisure, and back.

A South Holland council nature reserve is situated on part of the old Boston railway line at Vernatts Drain.

[9] In the past concerns have been expressed about the exploitation of farm and industrial workers from eastern Europe, as well as increased pressure on local services as a result of unplanned population increase; in 2007 the local MP, Mark Simmonds, said that "the real scale [of modern slavery in the area] is unknown, but it is out of control".

Spalding is located at the centre of a major region of flower and vegetable cultivation, due to the rich silty soil, which mainly comprises drained, recovered marshland or estuary.

The main vegetables are potatoes, peas, carrots, wheat, barley, oats, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts.

They sell all major fruit and vegetables ranging from the famous, locally grown 'Boston' potatoes to imported rarities such as custard apples.

The bands of brightly coloured tulip fields in bloom in spring that covered the fenland have decreased markedly.

[16][17] Spalding was chosen to host the World Tulip Summit in 2008, alongside a broader "Tulipmania" festival which coincided with the date of the fiftieth Flower Parade.

St Paul's Church at Fulney, on the eastern side of the town, was designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott and completed in 1880 after his death.

[23] There are several supermarkets: a small Tesco Express store, a Sainsbury's, a Lidl and an Aldi in the centre of the town and a Morrisons in Pinchbeck.

[25] The new £425m, 860 MW combined cycle gas turbine Spalding Power Station, owned by InterGen, was built on the former site of British Sugar on West Marsh Road by Bechtel in October 2004.

[26] Plans were submitted in December 2021 for a £160 million scheme to build one of the world's largest battery energy storage systems on land next to the existing power station.

The Spalding Battery Energy Storage System project is being proposed by owners InterGen; plans have been submitted for approval to South Holland District Council.

The local football team is Spalding United, who play in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands.

Spalding, like nearby Boston, is a regular destination of heavy goods vehicles transporting processed vegetables and other food produce.

The A16 used to pass through the town until August 1995, when the Spalding-Sutterton Improvement (by-pass) was opened, built mostly on the closed Spalding to Boston railway line.

The service to Peterborough was withdrawn by BR in October 1970 as part of the closure of the East Lincolnshire route from Grimsby and Boston, but reinstated in June 1971 with a grant from Spalding Urban District Council.

Spalding was also on the east–west Midland and Great Northern Joint Railway, which had Bourne to the West and Holbeach to the east.

It closed in February 1959, ending through passenger services from Leicester to Great Yarmouth via King's Lynn and Norwich.

31106, in immaculate condition after a major works overhaul, hauled the 'St James Tripper' excursion to Peterborough from Preston via Doncaster, Lincoln and Sleaford, and made a brief stop at the station to have its 'Spalding Town' nameplates unveiled by Colin Fisher, Chairman of South Holland District Council.

31106 was owned by Norfolk-based businessman and author Howard Johnston, who was born at nearby Cowbit and educated in the town.