GLOUCESTERSHIRE is gearing up for the biggest royal celebration for years – the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
More than 170 street parties have been planned along with a wealth of big, organised public events to take part in over the extended Bank Holiday weekend.
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Queen’s Jubilee
TiG has put together a list of the big events and some useful links to other sites with information about the events.
We’d also like to hear from you. If you are having an event or street party why not use the comment facility below to publicise the details. You can also email matt.holmes@northcliffedigital.co.uk to have your event listed in this article.
USEFUL LINKS:
The official website of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee
Diamond Jubilee information in Gloucester
Diamond Jubilee information in Cheltenham
Diamond Jubilee in Cirencester
Diamond Jubilee information in the Forest of Dean
Diamond Jubilee information in Stroud
Diamond Jubilee information from Gloucestershireprepared.co.uk
Interactive Jubilee beacon map
Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant website
MAIN EVENTS:
SATURDAY JUNE 2:
GLOUCESTER: Concert for the Queen – Pomp and Circumstance: Concert for the Queen. Music by Parry, Handel, Walton and Elgar at Gloucester Cathedral. Musical director is Adrian Partington for this concert of choral music, much of which was performed at the Coronation on June 2 1953 in Westminster Abbey. Performed by Gloucester Choral Society, Castle Brass will add the trumpets and the horns to the occasion with Ashley Grote on the organ. Gloucester Cathedral, College Green, Gloucester, GL1 2LR T: 01452 528095
CHELTENHAM: Montpellier – Between 11am-3pm loads of fun with dog competitions, a slow cycling race and fancy hat show.
CHELTENHAM: Town Hall Imperial Garden Bar – Jubilee party starts at 11.30am.
CHELTENHAM: Coronation picnic on Coronation Square in Hester’s Way.
STROUD: Canal celebrations – Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee and the restoration of the Cotswold Canals will be the Stroud on the Water 2012 Festival from June 2 to 4. It is being organised by the Cotsworld Canals Trust which is also marking its 40th anniversary and the event will feature the Inland Waterways Association’s annual Trailboat Festival. Organisers say: “The canal is being restored and the first stretch, from Stonehouse through Stroud, will be starting to look like a proper canal again by the time of the festival – although there will still be a lot of work to be finished.” The event takes place at Marling School Playing Field just outside Stroud town centre. Opening times are 12pm to 11pm on Saturday and 11am to 11pm on Sunday and Monday. Marling School, Cainscross Road, Stroud, GL5 4HE.
FOREST OF DEAN: Diamond Jubilee Celebration takes place on June 2. The Proms in the Park style event starts at 2pm with the Lydbrook Championship and Training Bands, a range of artists including the local Boogie Nights youth dance group, Brett Baker – principal trombone player of Black Dyke Band, and the Great Western Chorus. Plus a host of other attractions have been organised including historic vehicles and children’s entertainment. The finale will be a Last Night of the Proms performance by Lydbrook Band and fireworks.
The Speech House Hotel, Speech House, Coleford, GL16 7EL
SUNDAY JUNE 3:
CHELTENHAM: Olympix – Jubilee meets London 2012 at the Cheltenham Olympix with an event organised by The Rotary Club of Cheltenham in association with Cheltenham Rugby Club. Raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, Life Education Trust, ShelterBox and local Rotary charities, the family fun day features the Newlands Decathlon as well as a barbecue, cream teas, bric-a-brac, books, china, cakes, tombola and tradestands. It takes place on June 3 starting at 10am. Entry for the Decathlon is £10.
Newlands Park, Southam, Cheltenham, GL52 3PE
MONDAY JUNE 4:
GLOUCESTER: Party in the Park – picnic style big lunch, brass bands, craft workshops, storytellers, a fun fair plus catering stands. This party is aimed at all the family in the heart of Gloucester from midday until 6pm. Meanwhile the following day it’s Party in the Park Sports day with traditional events such as sack races, egg and spoon, giant bowling and giant jenga plus fun fair and craft workshops. Gloucester Park, GL1 4UF
CHELTENHAM: Jubilee Jamboree – the Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum with St Mary with St Matthew have organised this street party on June 4. It takes place in the grounds of St Mary’s and Well Walk with bell ringing starting the day followed by art activities, music, art and craft stalls as well as delicious food. The Bishop of Gloucester will launch the event which also includes a treasure trail in St Mary’s Church which will give the lucky winner their own ‘diamond’. It takes place from 11am to 5pm. Grounds of St Mary, off Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3PL Art Gallery and Museum, Clarence Street, Cheltenham, GL50 3JT T: 01242 237431
CIRENCESTER: A host of events are taking place in Cirencester to mark the jubilee with open gardens, exhibitions, church events, town walks, the Big Lunch, a peal of bells and a ball all part of ‘Cirencester Sparkles’. The big event is on June 4 with a timetable of activities from 11am to 10pm. It features the Jubilee Tower Challenge when teams aim to beat a record set during the Golden Jubilee celebrations 10 years ago to create a tower constructed simply of newspapers and sticky tape within six hours. A pedestrian procession parades through Market Place and into the Abbey Grounds which will be focus place for the fun with a mini pageant, stalls, sideshows, bands, games and workshops.
CHELTENHAM: Party in Pittville Park from 2pm-6pm.
COOPER’S HILL: Double Gloucester’s have been ordered and while there is no official racing it looks like plenty of people wil be turnign up for Cheese Rolling
TETBURY: Woolsack racing is held on June 4 and features participants carrying a sack of wool up and down a hill which reaches a gradient of one in four. Around the town will be street entertainers, stalls and amusement rides. Diversions will be operating around Tetbury on the day as the town is shut to through traffic. Parking is £3 per vehicle and includes a programme. There are two car park sites – number one can be reached from the A46 Stroud/Nailsworth road. Head for the town centre from Beverston on the A4135, pass the fire station on the right and continue for 75m before turning left into the Dolphins Hall, entrance to the recreation ground is through the gate at the back. From Minchinhamton/Avening. Approach the town on the B4014. Turn sharp right into Chavenage Lane. Entrance to recreation ground is on the left. Car park two is best approached from Cirencester on the A433. Take a left turn at the crossroads signposted Tetbury Industrial Estate. Continue for about half a mile and the entrance to Preston Park is on the left.
UPTON-ST-LEONARDS: Bondend Road – the Village Hall and BMI open up their doors for the Jubilee celebrations from 10am-10pm
TEWKESBURY: The rugby club is having a fun day with tug-o-war CAMRA beer festival and buskers – entry is free. The White Bear in Tewkesbury is also staging a “BearFest” festival from Friday JUne 1 to Sunday, June 3.
WINCHCOMBE: All-day Diamond Jubilee Street Fair in Winchcombe
PRESTBURY: Street Party in Prestbury. 10am to 6pm. Barn dance 6pm to 9.30pm. Flower festival across the weekend at St Nicolas Church in the village.
TUESDAY JUNE 5:
CHELTENHAM: Jubilee fun day at the Brewery. Visit Brewery website
CHELTENHAM: Jubilee party at the Sandford Park Lido.
GLOUCESTER: Fun day for youngsters at Gloucester Park from midday to 5pm.
GLOUCESTER: From June 2-10 Gloucester Waterways Museum will be running special Diamond Jubilee barge trips.
* To add your event to this list email: matt.holmes@northcliffedigital.co.uk and please send in your pictures of your street party or celebrations to the same email address.