This year, Her Majesty The Queen celebrates her Platinum Jubilee after 70 years on the throne. Here’s what’s happening in your area over the Spring Bank Holiday weekend, to commemorate this momentous royal occasion!
Arbury Carnival
Arbury Carnival returns on 11 June, and this year it will be celebrating the Jubilee – expect fantastic floats, uplifting live music, craft stalls and plenty of jubilant community spirit! The procession usually starts in Armitage Way, Cambridge and proceeds down North fields avenue, past kings hedges school and Arbury town park, ending where North fields avenue meets Campkin Road.
A Royal Banquet
The Crown and Punchbowl in Horningsea presents an indulgent Jubilee Pudding Night on 2 June, with each £40 ticket including one main course and five desserts – some traditional, some with a twist! Sister venue The Tickell Arms also hosts a Jubilee Beer Festival Extravaganza from 1-5 June – swing by for lip-smacking food from Smokeworks, local beers and live music.
Conflict and the Crown
A new exhibition at Imperial War Museum Duxford explores the role of the royal family in times of conflict, including the Queen’s personal experiences of living through war. From 27 May, visitors to the museum will be able to follow a trail of objects in the AirSpace hangar, that tell the story of British and Commonwealth aviation throughout the Queen’s reign. You’ll be able to get up close to aircraft used by the royal family for travelling the world, while recently digitised film footage from IWM’s archive provides a fascinating glimpse into how the Queen’s role as monarch has been shaped by her relationship with the armed forces.
Ely Cathedral Exhibition
Relive the regal glamour of the coronation from 2-5 June at Ely Cathedral, where there will be an exhibition featuring the official replica of the Queen’s coronation dress commissioned by Harrods in 2012 for the Diamond Jubilee – and worn by Claire Foy in Netflix hit The Crown. There will also be floral displays by Ely Cathedral’s Flower Guild that represent key events, interests and pursuits in the Queen’s life. Visitors who stay until the evening may even get a glimpse of the Octagon Tower illuminated in red, white and blue.
Green Shoots
The Queen’s Green Canopy is a national tree-planting initiative that commemorates the Jubilee in a way that will benefit future generations. Across the country, individuals and groups have committed to ‘Plant a tree for the Jubilee’. In Cambridgeshire, trees have been planted by Cambridge Past, Present and Future, IWM Duxford and famous faces such as James Cracknell OBE, who did so alongside his boat club teammates. Visit queensgreencanopy.org to find out more.
Jubilee Market
On Friday 3 June, Ely Markets will hold its Jubilee Market Celebration, offering a range of street food and drinks, with wood-fired pizza, cream teas, a beer tent and more. A ceilidh band provides plenty of entertainment, in addition to theatre performers and crafts for children.
Leading Light
Beacon lighting ceremonies have long been used to celebrate royal weddings, coronations and jubilees. Recalling the beacon chains used in ages past as a tool of communication, the ceremony has become a symbol of unity across towns, borders, countries and continents. Various events are taking place across Cambridgeshire to launch the long Jubilee weekend on 2 June, including a ceremony at Cambridge Mound on Castle Hill. To find events, visit platinumjubilee.gov.uk.
Queen Bee
Families with young children can look forward to quite a buzz at the Cambridge University Botanic Garden on 4 June; drop by the Schools Garden any time from 10am-1pm and make your very own queen bee creation, ready to parade the palatial gardens and discover its wealth of royal plants.
Royal Repertoire
At Great St Mary’s Church on 4 June, Eboracum Baroque celebrates the Jubilee with a majestic programme featuring Handel’s four coronation anthems, originally composed for George II in 1727. “Handel’s coronation anthems are glorious – perfect to celebrate the Jubilee,” says director Chris Parsons. “It’s for choir and orchestra – an incredible sound when everyone is performing.” Visit eboracumbaroque.co.uk and book your tickets now.
Saffron Hall Concert
Saffron Hall is holding a concert fit for a queen, with music from the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment on 11 June at 7.30pm. Comprised of full-time professional musicians, it has a special programme planned to mark the occasion, and will raise funds on behalf of the RAF Music Charitable Trust.
Streets Ahead
Nothing says Jubilee quite like a street party, and after two years of staying indoors and avoiding the neighbours, now’s the time to reignite a sense of community in your local area! Get ready to roll out the bunting, prep the playlist and start sending invites well in advance – involve as much of your neighbourhood as possible. To find out what’s happening near you or register an event, visit cambridgeshire.gov.uk and search for ‘The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee’.
The Great British Bill’s
Celebrate the four-day Bank Holiday and feast like a royal with Bill’s special Jubilee menu. Start your day right with breakfast at Bill’s and opt for the Jubilee Royal (£14.95) – toasted English muffin with smoked salmon, spinach, golden poached eggs, Prosecco hollandaise and shavings of truffle. For lunch or dinner, try the Cod Save the Queen (£13.95), which merges two classic British favourites, featuring a crispy cod goujon burger with lemon mayo, crushed peas, pickled red onions and rosemary fries, all wrapped in bespoke branded royal newspaper. There are also some regal tipples on the menu, including The Crown Jewel (£5.95), made with Beefeater Gin, Elderflower, Raspberry and mint.
The Queen’s Tipple
In honour of Her Majesty’s favourite tipple, Greene King has introduced a special cocktail to the menu over the Jubilee weekend: A mixture of Dubonnet and Beefeater London Dry Gin, the ‘Queen’s Tipple’ is inspired by the classic French aperitif, the Zaza, which the Queen has been know to enjoy on special occasions. For some added fun, selected pubs will offer a ‘Queen’s Tipple’ on the house to anyone who visits with a Corgi and/or any Corgi memorabilia. You can find your nearest participating pub on the Greene King website.
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