Queen's platinum jubilee events in Lymington, Pennington, New Milton, Christchurch, Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Hythe, Sway, Hordle, Ringwood, Copythorne, Fordingbridge and Calshot
PEOPLE across the New Forest and Christchurch are to host scores of community events to mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee.
Celebrations will range from simple street parties to Spitfire flypasts, as well as community picnics, children’s events and tree planting ceremonies for the nationwide four-day party running from 2nd-5th June. Here's a selection of the main events.
Lymington and Pennington
IN Lymington there will be a community Picnic in the Park at Woodside on Sunday 5th June.
The event will run from 11am-4pm and has been jointly organised by the town council, Rotary Club and Lymington Community Centre.
Event highlights will include live music, a Fun Run arena with children’s competitions such as egg-and-spoon, sack, and three-legged races.
St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery will be running a children’s craft tent, and four-legged friends can try out in the fun dog show.
Coles Fun Fair will be operating rides throughout the afternoon, and there will be have-a-go petanque, croquet and football sessions.
Town council events manager Luan Dray said: “You can bring your own picnic to the event or food and drinks will be on sale such as burgers, paella, pizzas, focaccia, crepes, Thai, ice creams, teas and coffees and Pimms, courtesy of the Rotary Club.
“Visitors can say hello to Lymington fire brigade, coastguards and police, who will all be bringing their vehicles along.”
New Milton
A SPITFIRE flypast will launch a platinum jubilee fun day at New Milton recreation ground on Friday 3rd June from midday-7pm.
The famous aircraft is set to pass directly over the recreation ground at 12.39pm as the fun day, organised by New Milton Lion’s Club, gets underway.
On Saturday 4th June a Lancaster bomber flypast has been arranged to pass over the recreation ground and town centre at 4.21pm.
Other highlights of the fun day will include main stage entertainment from We Are Robot, the New Forest Big Band with singer Angela Jackson, Total Voice Community Choir, and the Milton Ukulele Strummers Klub.
Families can enjoy a fire show, contortionists, stilt walkers and magicians as well as a children’s entertainment arena and fun dog show.
There will be a French produce market, refreshment stalls, street food and a bar, with attendees also invited to bring a picnic.
The event will conclude with a beacon lighting featuring specially commissioned piping by John Adams. The ceremony will be led by a Call for Her Majesty, which will be read by Alan Watson, event organiser and chair of the Lions Club activities committee.
The French market will continue on the recreation ground on Saturday 4th June.
Christchurch
MUDEFORD Quay will be the focal point for celebrations organised by Christchurch Town Council.
The community event will begin at 5pm with an entertainment programme and food and drink stalls, before a beacon lighting ceremony at 9.45pm.
Christchurch mayor Cllr Sue Bungey said, “We have been planning these celebrations for months and we are very much looking forward to seeing the whole of Christchurch town decorated in red, white and blue bunting and festooned in flowers.
“Our new town crier will be announcing the start of the celebrations at 2pm on Thursday 2nd June and we have a twilight procession planned along the beaches of Mudeford quay just before the lighting of the beacon.
On Saturday 4th June Christchurch Business Improvement District will be holding a free children’s jubilee tea party and cupcake competition at Druitt Hall in Christchurch from 11am-4pm.
Brockenhurst
CELEBRATION events will take place around the village on Saturday 4th June with live music, vintage vehicles and displays in Brookley Road from midday.
Afternoon tea will be served at the village hall from 1.30pm where visitors can also enjoy a historic display and live music. Brockenhurst Football Club will join the festivities with live music, stalls, dance displays and food and drink from 2pm.
Lyndhurst
THE football ground in Welland’s Road is the setting for a family fun day and picnic from 1pm to 4pm on Saturday 4th June. Highlights will include fairground attractions, a local history display, children’s crafts, live music and family games.
Hythe
EWART Recreation Ground will host the Hythe Village Fete on Thursday 2nd June from 11am-4pm. Attractions will include cake stalls, displays, food and drink and live music.
Sway
THE Sway Big Jubilee Lunch will be held at Stanford Rise Green next to the village hall on Sunday 5th June from 11:30am-3pm.
Residents are invited to bring along a picnic to enjoy the fun, with races on the green, live music, a bar, story-telling, a jubilee celebration cake and a chance to make a crown and sit on a throne. If the weather is wet the event will move inside to the village hall.
Everton
EVERTON Community Association was awarded £1,630 from the Arts Council’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund towards the cost of hosting a Platinum Jubilee Party in the Park on Saturday 4th June.
Taking place at Everton Recreation Ground from 12.30pm- 5pm, the event will feature a live music, a classic car show, Zumba demonstration, a fun dog show, a fashion parade through the decades, a kids treasure hunt, petanque competitions, various stalls, a fancy dress competition and food and refreshments.
Those attending are invited to dress in 1950s style to mark the occasion and bring along a chair or picnic blanket.
Everton Community Association spokesperson Judy Pearce said: “We are working hard to ensure the Queen’s platinum jubilee is celebrated to show the appreciation we have for our monarch and her amazing achievement of serving her country for 70 years.”
Hordle
HORDLE residents will enjoy a similar party in the park style event at the village recreation ground on Sunday 5th June from midday-6pm featuring live music, children’s activities and food and drink stalls.
Ringwood
A BEACON-LIGHTING ceremony will take place in Thursday 2nd June at 9.45pm from the tower of the Church of St Peter and Paul in Market Place.
Ringwood Town Council spokesperson Charmaine Bennett said: “We will be following the national programme which will start at 9.35pm with an individual piper playing Diu Regnare which is a unique tune written especially for this historic event.
“This will be followed by a unique bugle call entitled Majesty and the lighting of the beacon at 9.45pm.
“We are grateful to Rev. Matthew Trick who is co-ordinating a scratch community choir to sing the unique Song for Commonwealth which has been written for the occasion – the idea being ‘voices around the globe joining together in celebration. “
A party in the park will take place at Carvers Recreation Ground on Sunday 5th June between midday and 6pm featuring live music, family entertainment, food and drink.
Entertainment will include sets from 14-year-old singer-songwriter Lewis Simons, lindy hop dance troop Jitterbug Jive, Emma Hardy, the Rock Choir, Scarlet Swing and Swing Unlimited.
Chuffley Steam Railway will be offering rides on the Platinum Express miniature steam railway. Steamship Circus will be bringing along a mini big top with hands-on circus skills classes and Punch Judy shows will take place throughout the afternoon.
Copythorne
PICNICS, beacon lighting events, barn dances and fun days are all planned in Copythorne as the community come together to celebrate.
On the Thursday evening there will be a parade from the parish hall to Stanley’s Own Scout Hut in Romsey Road for the lighting of the bonfire beacon in the Scouts field at 9.45pm.
On Saturday 4th June the village will celebrate with a family fun day from 1pm-5pm at the parish hall grounds.
An official tree-planting will launch the event with other highlights including a fun fair, funky play bus, tug-of-war, music from Rocking Fossils, the Scout bands and the Land Girls. Refreshments will be available from food and drink stalls.
The celebrations will continue on Sunday 5th June with Seven Glorious Decades from 11am-5pm featuring vehicles and artefacts from various eras of the Queen’s reign. The events will also include Morris dancing, live music and a brass band.
Fordingbridge
A JUBILEE picnic in the park will take place at Fordingbridge recreation ground from 3.30pm-10pm on Thursday 2nd June.
Fordingbridge Events Group spokesperson Cllr Pete White, said: “We have several bands booked to play, a choir, Crazy Kev and a disco taking us through seven decades of tunes.”
The event will see the installation of a new beacon on the recreation ground so the town can be part of the beacon lighting all over the country and the council is planting a Hornbeam tree to be a lasting reminder at 9.45pm.
Cllr White added: “The Rotary Club will also hold its charity duck race. First prize is £500, second prize is £200, and third prize is £100.”
Calshot
ON Sunday 5th June a big afternoon tea will take place at Calshot Activity Centre from midday-3pm with entertainment and a licensed bar with a view over the Solent.
Tickets are £7 per adult, £5 per child or £20 for a family of four, with proceeds to the Gurkha Welfare Trust.
