To mark 60 years of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s reign the Diamond Jubilee will take place in 2012.
To celebrate the occasion, North Down Borough Council are planning a programme of exciting events which will centre around an extended weekend on 2nd, 3rd , and 4th of June and coincide with the national Jubilee celebrations. The overall theme of the events will be Vintage in keeping with 1952, the year that The Queen was crowned.
The celebrations will kick off on Saturday 2nd June with the arrival of the HMS Bangor at The Eisenhower Pier.
On Sunday June 3rd, you are invited to attend The Big Jubilee Lunch which will take place in Castle Park. This is the perfect opportunity for you to bring along a picnic, enjoy the splendid background of the Park and listen to a host of amazing live music celebrating the era.
Jazz fans will adore AJ Brown and The Swingshift Big Band at 2.00 pm. This 18 piece band will perform favourites from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and pride themselves on bringing big band music into the 21st Century.
At 4.00 pm the internationally renowned Jacqui Dankworth Band will take to the stage. Considered to be “one of the classiest acts in British jazz singing” (The Guardian), Jacqui’s highly acclaimed recordings are stylistically diverse, incorporating elements of folk, blues and many other forms that have also demonstrated her superb skills as an eclectic songwriter.
At 7pm, an Interdenominational Church Service will take place and the evening will conclude with the premiere of the 3D Projection Spectacular, an amazing light show which will be projected onto the front of The Town Hall.
The entire Town Hall area will be transformed – there will be a Cartoon Wonderland – look out for old friends Andy Pandy, Bill and Ben and other surprises in a celebration of the creations of the 50s. There’ll be treasure hunts, crafts, a tea party, plant-potting, dressing up and lots more, guaranteed to keep the kids entertained for hours with lots of nostalgia for the adults!
In the courtyard just in front of the Town Hall – a special Jubilee version of the popular Seaside Frock Vintage Fair will delight the shopaholic! This will feature a fabulous line up of around 50 handpicked local vintage dealers and creative designers offering an extravaganza of vintage and handmade fashion, jewellery, furniture, homewares, collectables, gifts, sweet treats and much more.
For the car-lovers, a Vintage Car Display featuring cars and military vehicles from the era will be taking place. There’s lots happening inside The Museum too with exhibitions based on Royal Visits to North Down and the Cinema Room will be screening films from The Coronation and previous Royal visits.
A recreated 1950s home will reflect the best of the 50s with sections on Food, Frolics, Frocks and Furniture. The Council’s recycling team show you how to make the best of what you’ve got with themed workshops to turn your old clothes into outfits fit for a Queen.
All Town Hall activities will be repeated on Monday 4th June with some adjustments to the musical programme.
The Ulster Orchestra will be rehearsing for their grand finale performance from 4.00 – 6.00 pm in Castle Park, followed by the Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra will be taking to the stage.
At 8.00 pm the Ulster Orchestra will perform a special Jubilee concert. Come along, bring a picnic and kick-back and enjoy this very special musical treat. The day’s events will conclude at 10.30pm with another 3D Projection light show onto the Town Hall, followed by The National Lighting of the Jubilee Beacon.
So get your vintage gear on and prepare to step back in time this June when you come and celebrate the Diamond Jubilee with us, lots of fun and entertainment for the whole family for the whole weekend!
For further information, please phone our Tourist Information Centre on: 028 9127 0069 or visit www.northdowntourism.com