A provisional programme of events has been revealed for Ruddington’s celebrations of Her Majesty the Queen’s seventy years on the throne this summer.
With extra UK public holidays already in place for the Platinum Jubilee, Ruddington Parish Council has organised a weekend of activities to mark our much loved Monarch’s record breaking reign. From Thursday 2nd until Sunday 5th June 2022, The Green will be home to beacon lighting, a tree-planting ceremony and a community picnic, followed by games and live music, for all to enjoy. The whole village will be decorated with red, white and blue flowers, ribbons, flags and yarn bombing displays.
Cllr Ylenia Astegiano, from the Council’s Events Working Group, says: “After two years of being apart and having to put on one side big celebrations, we decided that 2022 should be the year of thanking our community with a big weekend full of events. Alongside the nationwide events, like the lighting of the beacon on Thursday 2nd June in the evening, we have come up with our own way of celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s big milestone, by joining forces with as many local associations and businesses. Lockton Dance School is organising a tea dance for Friday 3rd June“
She continues: “On Saturday 4th June, during Ruddington’s award-winning monthly market, a local dignitary will be planting a Royal Oak Tree at 11am, kindly donated by a local resident, while St Peter’s Church is organising a craft session for children in St Peter’s Rooms. The afternoon will see everyone able to take part in village tours given by Gavin Walker (Ruddington Village Museum and Ruddington History Society), then heading out to the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre for an afternoon of BBQ style food, music by Carlton Brass Band and drinks. Tickets for the Heritage Centre event cost £8 and can be purchased from The Heritage Café from Easter.”
Cllr Astegiano adds: “Sunday 5th June is without doubt the big day, starting with a service on the Green at 10.30am organised by St Peter’s Church. Everybody is then welcomed to join us from 12noon on the Green for a bring-your-own community picnic, filled with live music from Nottingham Concert Band, games/activities for the children and a tombola, culminating in an indoor cinema for the children at 4.30pm in St Peter’s Church. Local businesses The Frame Breakers and Ginger & Blue will be providing drinks and coffee respectively from their mobile bars. An ice cream van will be making an appearance.”
Fellow organiser, Cllr Jane Gray, reveals: “I shall be leading the Sunday service on The Green. St Peter’s have a regular church band, comprising amateur musicians, and we do a pretty good job overall with the music, but I would absolutely love to have a really big sound on the day. So are there any musicians in the village, amateur or otherwise, playing any instrument at all, that would be prepared to join us and play/sing? Music will be from the best modern worship songs and a great opportunity to showcase some amazing music. There will be PA to hopefully broadcast the music around the village, or at least around The Green. As far as I’m concerned, the bigger the band the better! When we know who we have, we can decide how to organise the group.”
If you’d like to get involved on Sunday June 5th, as a singer and/or musician, please call Cllr Gray as soon as possible on 07967 443463 or email janegray1@gmail.com.
She adds: “Even though fewer people see the relevance of church in modern society, the fact remains that for those crucial rites of passage the church remains pivotal to a society such as our village; Christenings, marriages and deaths – the church remains a constant in a turbulent world.”
The long weekend also sees a ‘Memory Tree’ on The Green, plus a display about the history of Ruddington WI inside the Framework Knitters’ Museum – which also has some other big Jubilee plans in and around its Chapel Street venue. As previously reported, this includes a knitted banner being created by artist Marie Jones depicting the story of Ruddington – ‘The Diamond Village’ – past to present. Villagers were asked to nominate ‘Ruddington Diamonds’ and think up a village ‘motto’ to knit into it. The banner is now being created (see below) and we will be able to see it paraded in all its glory through the village on Sunday June 5th.
There’s an update about the banner >>HERE<<.
Others around the village are organising their own Platinum Jubilee street parties that weekend – including one on Saturday 4th June on Churchill Drive, Westerham Road & Bladon Road – updates on which can be found on Facebook >>HERE<<.
Please let us know what YOU’RE doing by contacting RUDDINGTON.info >>HERE<< or via our social media – and be sure to keep checking back for more Ruddington Jubilee news nearer the time.
