Published: Tuesday, 3rd May 2022
Celebrations organised by the borough council for Her Majesty the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee will include family entertainment, fireworks, beacon lighting and much more.
The council has also agreed grants totalling more than £11,000 to support community parties across the borough.
Events have already begun and will reach a peak with festivities throughout the four-day Bank Holiday weekend in June.
Cllr Stuart Dark MBE, Leader of the borough council, said:
“We know West Norfolk is a very special place to Her Majesty and she is very special to us. We want to celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime event in style with opportunities for people across the borough to enjoy themselves, alongside some more formal ways in which we will mark the occasion.
“Our celebration of Her Majesty’s service is already underway. Our Mayor was honoured to be invited to Sandringham to the pre-Accession Day reception, where he presented Her Majesty with a Loyal Address that had been written by west Norfolk school children.
“More recently we have announced that every primary school-aged child in our borough will receive a Platinum Jubilee coin to mark this amazing milestone. I’m certainly looking forward to joining the Mayor in delivering these to local school children in my ward.
“Due to the popularity of our Platinum Jubilee fund, an additional allocation of funding has been found for the 56 Platinum Jubilee grants, worth more than £11,000 in total. This funding has been awarded to organisations throughout west Norfolk to help local communities celebrate this historic event. Our council has also offered support to Downham Market and Hunstanton Town Councils, along with King’s Lynn BID. We will be providing bunting for them to use in their localities.
"I’m really looking forward to everyone in west Norfolk being able to take part, enjoy, and play their part in the national celebration that starts on Thursday 2 June."
Cllr Graham Middleton, deputy leader of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk, and cabinet member for business, culture and heritage, said:
"There will be lots for families to enjoy. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for sunshine across the bank holiday weekend. We're encouraging people to wear their best red, white and blue and I'm looking forward to everything we have planned.
“The borough council has organised a programme of events in King’s Lynn that will encourage people to come into town, celebrate this occasion, and enjoy everything we have to offer.”
Events organised by the borough council start at 4pm on Bank Holiday Thursday 2 June with fairy-tale characters as Princesses and Queens visit King’s Staithe Square, King’s Lynn. A sing-a-long follows at 5:30pm and live music will be performed on stage from 6:30pm, culminating with a set from The Chebbs.
A Civic parade will arrive in King’s Staithe Square at 9:35pm with a bagpiper, in readiness for lighting the King’s Lynn beacon at 9:45pm. Beacons will also be lit at the same time in Downham Market and Hunstanton.
More music will follow and the evening will finish with fireworks.
On Friday 3 June a Queen's Jubilee Parade will march through King’s Lynn, led by bagpipers, and will include cadets, guides, scouts and St John Ambulance. Planned to be the biggest parade that King’s Lynn has ever seen, at 11:50am 200 young people will gather on the Quayside before parading through town. All afternoon and evening there will be live music on King’s Staithe Square and activities for children.
At 6:30pm a civic service will be held at King’s Lynn Minster.
On Saturday 4 June the party starts in King's Staithe Square from noon and will include sets from the UK's award winning pop and rock band Boogie Monsters who bring fun, high-energy and interactive live music for young children and their families. Followed by more upbeat party music for the whole family until 10pm. There will be activities for children to enjoy during the day too.
The Alive Corn Exchange will open its doors for free entry to watch a film about the Coronation in 1953, called A Queen is Crowned.
On Sunday 5 June, the entertainment moves to The Walks, which will host a Jubilee picnic and fun-day in partnership with the King’s Lynn Lions and Radio West Norfolk. Families are invited to sit in the park and enjoy all it has to offer from 12 until 5pm.