10 tips for organising a great Diamond Jubilee street party

With just over a month away to plan your party, it may be too late for an official street gathering but it doesn’t have to stop you from toasting Queenie’s 60 years on the throne….

1. Pick a date to celebrate

It would be a tremendous faux-pas to celebrate 60 years of the Queen’s reign on the wrong date.

The Diamond Jubilee celebrations will fall on the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th of June (Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays Monday and Tuesday). Don’t ask me why Tuesday, instead of Friday, was chosen to be a Bank Holiday – just pick a day to celebrate!

2. Know your history

If you’re organising your street’s Diamond Jubilee party then all the street’s kids will expect you to be even more clued-up about royal matters than BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell is. So you should know your basics, including that:

• The Queen came to the throne on 6^th February 1952
• Her coronation took place on 2^nd June 1953; making Saturday the 2^nd of June a very good day to hold your street party on

3. Learn from history

If there are people on your street old enough to remember the Queen’s 1953 coronation and 1977 Jubilee celebration then pick their brains about how these events were celebrated. Find out what food was laid on at street parties, what games were played and what music, if any, provided the soundtrack. This is all useful inside information which could inform your street party plans.

4. Don’t delay in applying for permission

The direct.gov.uk website has some very useful information about organising a Royal street party. A street party is classified as being one which “takes place in one or two streets and is for neighbours only”.

You will need to inform your local council’s events or communities’ team four to 12 weeks ahead of your party. Expect to receive a small application form through the post.

If you find that it’s too late to get permission then why not consider holding a ‘street meet’ instead. These have less restrictions placed on them as they are just gatherings which take place in parks, driveways or cul-de-sacs.

5. Traffic considerations

Kids will no doubt want to run around and have fun at street parties so it is a good idea to close off the road to traffic. Not surprisingly, you can’t just steal a bollard and do this yourself – ask permission from your local council.

If your street is on a busy bus route it’s quite polite to warn the company to re-route their bus services before the party begins!

6. The practicalities

Think up a checklist like the one below.

• Appoint people to organise different parts of the party
• Send out invitations early and don’t leave anyone on your street out – a party poster displayed prominently on a few windows should ensure this doesn’t happen
• Make sure there is enough seating for everyone

7. Decorations

Suitable decorations should give a royal theme to your street party. Craft companies like Yellow Moon have a great selection of Jubilee party supplies to make sure your street party is a successful one. Bunting, balloons and flags with the red, white and blue of the Union Jack will ensure that you and the kids can party like it’s 1953!

8. Food

Think British when choosing what snacks and treats to prepare for your party. Red, white and blue icing can give your street party cakes a patriotic atmosphere while coronation chicken and Victoria sponge cake are both foods with a royal theme! British classics such as beef wellington, pork pies, trifle and bakewell tarts are sure-fire crowd pleasers.

9. Activities

Keep the children active at Jubilee street parties by organising lots of activities. Setting up a face-painting stall on the street corner is a fabulous way of getting the party started – having a red, white and blue face is sure to be all the rage in early June. You could also set up a tombola stall to create some extra excitement and/or raise some money for good causes.

10. After the party

When you’re sending out the invitations, let your neighbours know the expected start and end time. Not all the neighbours will want to come to your party but they will want to know when the noise will begin and end.

Have lots of bin bags to hand when the party is in full swing so that you can clear away mess as you go along and don’t forget to have a team of little helpers to assist you with the clean-up operation after the party has ended.

And don’t forget to have fun – the earliest possible date that we can celebrate the next Diamond Jubilee is 2072 so make the most of this one!

James Christie writes for craft supplies company Yellow Moon.