Queen's Platinum Jubilee: How will Skegness celebrate?

Town councillors are to form a new entertainments working group to discuss ideas for the new Bank Holiday celebrating the historic 70th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne.

In previous years, when meetings were held at the Town Hall, the council said it had struggled to mark royal occasions as it didn't even have a flag pole.

However, in its new location in the Tower Gardens Pavilion, councillors are better equipped to not only fly the flag, but to bring residents together.

The subject was brought up at the monthly meeting of Skegness Town Council when the future of the VE Committee was discussed after they had been unable to hold an event due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members decided to disband this committee in favour of an entertainments working group.

However, Coun Mark Dannatt warned members should not to go too overboard with plans. "Times have changed since the Diamond Jubilee in 1981 and, after the pandemic and with rising costs, families may just want to celebrate at home," he said. "We need to think about what we want to spend."

Coun Steve Kirk said he supported the idea of a garden party in Tower Gardens, where families could take along picnics.

"A working group could discuss ways to deliver that," he said.

One resident in favour of the idea is Skegness Community Champion John Byford. He said he would love to be able to attend a Queen's Platinum Jubilee garden party in Tower Gardens.

"I was 12 and at school when the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee," he said. "I remember the celebrations and going to a street party and I still have the Silver Jubilee coin and mug that I was given at school - they may hold no monetary value but the value is the memory that I was there.

"When my children were little I can remember us celebrating the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002.

"They closed the whole of Norwood Road and I remember us all going to a street party there.

"God Save the Queen - she's been there all my life and has reigned with such dignity and pride.

"Now I get to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee with my grandchildren.

"I think it's wonderful - it's what our country is about."

HOW THE NATION COULD CELEBRATE THE QUEEN'S PLATINUM JUBILEE

While the official anniversary is February 6, the designated weekend for national celebrations is an extended Bank Holiday weekend from Thursday to Sunday June 2 to 5, 2022.

This replaces the Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday of May.

Street parties are always popular ways to bring communities together in celebration, with the dedicated day being on Sunday June 5, with people across the country invited to sit down together to take part in the Big Jubilee Lunch.

If communities plan their arrangements in line with this, they might want to consider how it ties in with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant at Buckingham Palace where pomp and ceremony, street arts, theatre, music, circus, costumes as well as cutting-edge visual technology are promised.

For any street parties that require street closures, agreements must be made with the County Council’s Highways Department four to 12 weeks in advance. Check if you need a licence by visiting https://www.e-lindsey.gov.uk/article/5737/Event-Licensing The Queen’s Green Canopy tree planting is best done by the end of March. Planting projects can be uploaded on to an interactive map at: www.queensgreencanopy.orgThere will also be a dedicated network of 70 Ancient Woodlands across the United Kingdom and identification of 70 Ancient Trees to celebrate Her Majesty’s 70 years of service.

There are other ways which communities can engage in. The Queen’s Beacons – Community beacon lighting, will be on Thursday, June 2. Building on the tradition and success of previous jubilees, community groups, organisations and businesses are encouraged to join in with a chain of beacons the length and breadth of the country and across the Commonwealth, followed by the suggested planting of seven trees on the beacon site.

Or you can enter a competition to ‘design’ a Platinum Jubilee Pudding or cake to be promoted as the official sweet treat of the celebrations. Details at www.fortnumandmason.com/platinum-pudding. Closing date is February 4.

A focus on Church services is scheduled for Friday, June 3, in line with the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral. Details will follow from the Diocese of Lincoln at www.lincoln.anglican.org and from other faith groups.

Additionally, the public can apply to be involved in other commemorative activities.

On Thursday, June 2, it is Trooping the Colour held in full for the first time since the pandemic. Tickets are available by public ballot at https://qbp.army.mod.uk/On Saturday, June 4, there will be a Platinum Party at Buckingham Palace, for which members of the public can apply to attend a live concert; billed as bringing together some of the world’s biggest stars to celebrate the most significant moments from the Queen’s seven-decade reign. The ballot for UK residents to secure tickets will be launched in February.

More detail of the main national events and activities at: www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-bank-holiday-to-mark-the-queens-platinum-jubilee-in-2022*Email your Jubilee memories and details of anything you have planned for the Queen's Platinum Anniversary to [email protected]