The party’s started (but keep a brolly handy)
IN A glorious display of patriotic pride the citizens of Swanage flew the flag for the Queen yesterday with a street party that took over the town centre.
Hundreds of people turned out for the huge party in Dorset, with schoolchildren dressed in costumes representing the eight decades of the Queen’s reign. Linda Welsh, one of the organisers, said: ‘It will be the biggest celebration of their lifetime – and hopefully one they won’t forget.’
As many as 16,000 street parties are expected to be thrown over the Platinum Jubilee bank holiday weekend.
Most will be staged tomorrow, but Swanage was among some villages and towns that have already hosted theirs.
Organisers are hoping to stage the UK’s longest ever jubilee street party, with 555 tables spread over almost a mile between the villages of Goring in Oxfordshire and Streatley, Berkshire.
Unfortunately, every silver (or platinum) lining has a cloud – and the British weather is threatening to put a dampener on the celebrations.
But Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire Simon Carter, who helped to organise the Goring and Streatley event, said: ‘It will be very much in the spirit of get on with it and enjoy it.’
Thunderstorms, torrential rain and even hail will lash parts of the South today and tomorrow. However, anywhere north of Lincolnshire is likely to stay dry and up to 20C (68F).
Met Office meteorologist Steven Keates said: ‘If I wasn’t in the North I’d take a coat and an umbrella.’