Diamond Jubilee

Some Suggestions on organising a street party for the Diamond Jubilee

Unless you have been hiding under a rock or living in a cave for the past year, you would have not missed the fact that the Queen is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee.

The Diamond Jubilee is taking place in the first week of June and there are many official events that have been organised. These include the Buckingham Palace concert, and the Diamond jubilee Pageant. Along with the official events communities across the UK have organised local street parties.

If you would like to attend a local street party you can find a list from the official Diamond Jubilee website at thediamondjubilee.org. If you find that there are no local events taking place in your area why not take charge and organise your own.

There are obviously some practical challenges that you will have to take into consideration before holding a local street party such as, road closures and health and safety not to mention thinking of ways to ensure your party is a complete success and be remembered for many years to come.

Here are some tips:

Practical Challenges for organising your Diamond Jubilee Street Party

If it has been decided that you would like to hold an event the first call is to consult with your neighbours and local businesses to not only confirm that they would come to the event and maybe sponsor the event but also to ensure that the event won't cause too many disruptions.

After consulting the local residents and local businesses you need to speak with your local council, currently the government and local authorities are looking for local residents to take charge and organise events to bring the community together. You will need to apply for road closure by the 18th of May ensuring that there is access for pedestrians, local residents and emergency vehicles. If you find that it will not be possible to have a road closure then the consider holding the event at the local park. Again you will need to speak to the council to get permission to hold the event in the local park.

If the event is restricted to local residents then you can save on a lot of red tape because you will not need to apply for licenses for playing music, serving food and sharing alcohol. By law you do not need to apply for insurance but it is recommended by the local authority that you take out a pubic liability insurance cover.

Ideas for your Diamond Jubilee event success

The easiest way to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee is to hold a big lunch or a picnic with all of your neighbours; this will give you the opportunity to not only celebrate the Diamond Jubilee but also get to know some of your neighbours that you may not had the chance to meet in the past.

Hopefully if the weather is good you will be able to hold the gathering outside but if it rains it would be advisable to maybe have a backup plan so that the event doesn't get ruined. To add a bit of English sparkle, why not serve traditional tea in the afternoon with an arrangement of different classic teas.

You could add a bit of class to your party by hiring vintage crockery just to make it a little more special. Along with the tea why not make the gathering more special by playing some nostalgic games such as croquet or skittles which is fun for everyone and it's a great icebreaker for all the new neighbours. If you decide that organising an event for the local community is too big a job and would prefer to celebrate with your family then you could also enjoy these games at home in the garden.

No matter what you decide to do the fact remains that an event like a Diamond Jubilee does not come round very often and for a lot of people this is a once in a lifetime event. So why not take advantage of the Queens Diamond Jubilee to break the ice with your local neighbours and to start building a proper community.

Maundy Thursday part of the Diamond Jubilee

As part of the Diamond Jubilee Tour of the UK, Today Her Majesty the Queen visited York minster to hand out Royal Maundy money to pensioners from all across the UK. In the company of The Duke of Edinburgh and granddaughter Princess Beatrice the Queen was welcomed by large crowds of people.

The Queen, true to form, was dressed impeccably in a grey and blue tweed ensemble with a matching hat was welcomed to York by Lord Mayor David Horton.

The Queen handed out the Maundy money during the Royal Maundy Service which was being conducted by York's archbishop, Dr John Sentamu. The Maundy money is given to each of the 44 Christian dioceses of Britain, in acknowledgment to their service to their communities.

The giving out or distribution of the Royal Maundy money is an old tradition that is, believed by Christians, to date back to the time of Jesus and the last supper when, according to the gospel of St john, Jesus bathed and cleaned the feet of his disciples.

Diamond Jubilee Minted Coins

In this year's ceremony 86 men along with 86 women received Maundy money which is equal to the age of the Queen. Each person received two purses, one purse was red and the other purse was white. Inside the red coloured purse there was a five pound commemorative coin, celebrating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee with a new minted 50 pence piece which also commemorates the Diamond Jubilee. In the white purse there was 86 pence worth of newly minted Maundy money.

Once the service was complete the Queen went on to take part in another age old tradition which was to present the mayor of York with the 'Cap of Maintenance'. The presentation of the 'cap' ceremony took place in Mansion house, the cap is given in recognition of the importance of York as a city.

Maundy Thursday is known by different names these include Holy Thursday, Thursday before Easter, Great and Holy Thursday, Covenant Thursday, Thursday of Mysteries and Shere Thursday (also spelled Sheer Thursday).

Diamond Jubilee at Temptation Gifts

To Celebrate the Queens Diamond Jubilee in June 2012, Temptation Gifts has created a dedicated section to all things diamond jubilee. You will be able to find souvenirs for everyone, from commemorative memorabilia for the collector to everything that you will need to hold your own diamond jubilee party. Click here for more diamond jubilee information.

The Queen Addresses Parliament

One of the duties that Her Majesty the Queen has to perform is to address both the members of parliament and the House of Lords, This year was no different. In front of an audience including Prime Minister David Cameron, she paid tribute to the British virtues of "resilience, ingenuity and tolerance" and also to the Duke of Edinburgh who is her "constant strength and guide" over the years. Interestingly The Queen also made reference to the 3500 government bills she has signed into law during her 60 year reign a fact which most people are unaware.

Her majesty also mentioned how in this Diamond Jubilee year she hoped it would present the people with an opportunity to come together 'in a spirit of neighbourliness and celebration of their own communities'.

In celebration of The Queens Diamond Jubilee year she was gifted with a stained-glass window from the Members of Parliament and the House of Lords. The glorious window was designed by British glass designer John Reyntiens and is made up of 1500 separate glass pieces. The Diamond Jubilee window will be place in the north window of the Westminster Hall.

And in closing in true form Queen Elizabeth II promised to rededicate herself to the service of this great country.

60 years a Queen

This year marks the celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee commemorating 60 years of remarkable service to the United Kingdom. The Queen's Silver Jubilee which took place in 1977 and Golden Jubilee in 2002 saw celebrations on a large scale all over the country. So, how will the people be rejoicing this point in history?

We are beginning to see a media hype building as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee approaches and various events and visits are taking place, including Prince Harry's visit to Jamaica and The Duchess of Cambridge visiting the East Anglia's Children's Hospices, to name but a few.

Events in March 2012

On Monday 12th March 2012 to start off the Queen's Diamond Jubilee there was an Event at Westminster Abbey. As Head of the Commonwealth, The Queen attended a Commonwealth Day Observance at the Abbey. The Event was attended by important officials such as the Prime Minister, High Commissioners and also over a thousand school children from the United Kingdom.

Events in May 2012

The events celebrating the Queens Diamond Jubilee will take place from the 10th to the 13th of May 2012. In the evenings of these three nights dancers, musicians, military and a 500 horse display including over 700 international performers will come together to pay tribute to 60 years of Her Reign.

From the Army, Royal Navy and the RAF, on Saturday the 19th of May, we will see nearly 2,500 troops parade through Windsor Including Winsor Castle before Her Majesty and The Duke of Edinburgh. In attendance with the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee will be an audience of more than 3,000 Armed Forces personnel and their families, and veterans.

Events in June 2012

The Pinnacle of the Queens Diamond Jubilee will take place on the Bank Holiday Weekend from the 2nd to the 5th of June.

Lunches are being held at many locations up and down the UK throughout the weekend. This is a trend that has developed over the years whenever there is a royal event and the Queens Diamond Jubilee is no different. These Lunches are seen as a way of bringing the community together.

On the Sunday, around a thousand boats will assemble on the Thames preparing for Her Majesty the Queen to take part in the Thames Diamond Jubilee Procession.

Monday the 4th of June, along with being a bank holiday, is also the day that a concert will be held within the gardens of Buckingham Palace. This event will be open to ticketing holding members of the public and will be full of top performers from across the globe. The event will also be transmitted on radio in a special Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebration programme.

Tuesday the 5th of June is allocated as a Special Bank Holiday and when a service of thanksgiving held at St. Paul's Cathedral takes place. The prayer being recited has been written with the Queen's direction for her Diamond Jubilee.

Public Ballot for the Queens Diamond Jubilee Concert Opens on 8th February

On Monday 4th June a concert celebrating the Queens Diamond jubilee will be held. The Concert which is taking part over the Diamond Jubilee Weekend is in celebration of the Queens 60 Years at the throne.

Diamond Jubilee Concert Tickets

Those of you who are lucky enough to get a ticket will be able to enjoy a picnic in the back garden of Buckingham palace and you will receive a hamper as a souvenir to take home to remember the day. The BBC, who is holding the diamond jubilee concert, will construct the main stage around the statue of Queen Victoria. Some of the attendees will be Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Stevie Wonder, Annie Lennox, Cliff Richard, Jessie J, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Jools Holland, Elton John, JLS, Alfie Boe, Ed Sheeran and many more that the BBC is waiting for confirmation from. With the added back drop of Buckingham Palace this event surely cannot be missed.

Diamond Jubilee Concert Ticket Ballot

In order to attend the diamond jubilee concert you need to act fast and you need to act now. The ballot will only be opening on the 8th of February 2011 and closing at midnight on March 2nd 2011. 5000 tickets will be available for anyone who is a resident in the UK, The Channel Islands and the Isle of Mann. Also for anyone who has a BFPO Address. You can apply online or by post but all entries must be in before the time given.Each of the lucky ticket holders will be allowed to nominate one guest, including people from outside of the UK. So if you have an exclusive diamond jubilee concert ticket and you would like to share it with a family member or a friend, outside of the United Kingdom, then you still can.