Midlands Jubilee set to be a gem
Saturday 21st January 2012, 11:00AM GMT.
Spectacular celebrations featuring parties, bonfires, concerts and displays were today unveiled to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in the Midlands.
A highlight will be a giant event at Wolverhampton’s West Park featuring a bonfire, fireworks and live music.
Councils said today they are also being approached for street party licences, with authorities waiving road closure fees.
It is believed the celebrations will outstrip the number staged for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding last April.
On June 4, the Queen will light the first of 2,012 beacons nationwide to mark her 60th year on the throne. Beacons will then be illuminated at Dudley Castle, Rowley Hills, Sedgley Beacon and Wolverhampton’s West Park in front of thousands of people.
West Park will host its party on June 4, including a bonfire, fireworks, Queen tribute band She Will Rock You, and a funfair, while a similar event will take place on Rowley Hills.
Museums across Sandwell and Walsall will be holding exhibitions featuring souvenirs and historic artefacts from the coronation and a special service, featuring 60 residents who were born when the Queen acceded to the throne on February 6, 1952, will take place at Lichfield Cathedral.
The Local Government Association said there was already a buzz surrounding the occasion.
Tourism boss, Councillor Chris White, said: “Councils are already receiving hundreds of inquiries from residents wanting to hold street parties. It really seems as if Britain’s street party tradition has been well and truly resurrected.”
By Elizabeth Joyce
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Is there any money for all this!
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And Wolverhampton council are always telling us they are skint?
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Cor blimey!
At times like these,with all the
festivities coming up I wish I were
still living in good old Dudley town to
be able to join in with the celebrations.
I can vaguely remember the festivities
back in 1953,I was nearly four then,haha
Sadly,I now live in Holland,good job,good
money,nice people,and can only watch good
old blighty suffer and go to the dogs.
Still,Her Majesty,s celebs ought to
brighten things up a bit down your way,
cheers.
Once a lad from Dudley town,never forgotten.
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The region is even more of a dump than it is before. What has she done to help? We are destined to poverty for YEARS to come. We can’t afford it we’re going to bed because we’re poor. We feel like a forgotten generation and we only hear about the Royal Family when they are in it for themselves. IF we had a more representative monarchy, more like a republic, I wouldn’t be so negative but in the meantime I as a patriotic English person feel like I have no voice in my own country. Sad, but you will see millions just like me who are sick to the back teeth of coming last. Don’t clean the streets just because it’s a Jubilee, it wold be an insult. Show the world how we really live.
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We are lighting Barr Beacon too! We are hoping that the restoration of the historic Barr Beacon War Memorial will be well underway by the jubilee celebrations. (Should point out that Barr Beacon is owned by a TRUST, not the Council and the restoration project is grant funded by the lovely Heritage Lottery Fund.) Anyone interested in goings on a Barr Beacon can follow @barrbeacon on twitter and search for Barr Beacon Restoration Project on facebook! :-)
Really looking forward to a year of national pride and celebration, and feeling really lucky to be a part of it.
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In answer to flbatling. Your hardly the other end of the world, in Holland. I wish I could be there too, missed the party in 1977 as well. I’m 6,000 miles away in Vancouver, whats your excuse. There should always be money for a party, put those rioters to work.
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Republic will be about to protest at waste of money on royals and to promote democracy, let the people celebrate being British not an unelected monarchy
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Bulldog, if you think your region is a dump then it is you who should be doing something about it. And if we had a republic instead of a monarchy then I suspect you’d just be complaining about the President anyway.
On that point, who really wants an elected person with absolute power over our country when votes can be so easily bought and the public at large can be duped into voting for someone? Our system works better than any in the world – there are enough checks and balances in it to ensure that nobody has too much power. And the monarch is born into a life of duty for the country, something that we should learn to appreciate more.
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