To Jubilee or not to Jubilee, that is the question

IT IS the country where Prince William went to university, Zara Phillips married Mike Tindall and Prince Charles cut his teeth as a weatherman. But it seems Scotland still struggles to get excited about the Royal Family.

Just over 100 street parties celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee are being planned north of the Border – a fraction of the estimated 9,500 expected to take place in England and Wales. Some parts of the country are more enthusiastic than others – Edinburgh has 30 parties confirmed, with four more pending, as well as a jubilee concert in the Usher Hall and live streaming of major UK events on the big screen in Festival Square.

And Scottish Borders council is spending almost £40,000 supporting 55 events, including six street parties.

However, several local authorities said nothing was planned and no licensing applications made. Many councils stressed that informal inquiries have been made and numbers could yet rise. Most celebrations are taking place between Saturday and Tuesday, with some continuing later into next week.

Economic forecasts for the jubilee are mixed, with website Moneysupermarket predicting retailers will benefit from an £823 million spending spree – close to double the amount linked to last year’s Royal Wedding – while the Bank of England has warned the public holidays on 4 and 5 June will contribute to a 0.5 per cent drop in the economy in the second quarter.

However, supporters believe the economic gloom is precisely why people should jump at the chance of a celebration.

Donald Wilson, Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh, said: “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local communities to come together and celebrate this historic event, and I think as Scotland’s capital city, it is only right we should lead the way.

“There is a real buzz of excitement across the city, and in these harsh economic times it is great that we can all lift our spirits with these celebrations.”

Celebrations are not restricted to street parties. In Lanarkshire the jamboree will feature a royal- and fifties-themed festival, performance poetry on a tram, an adult choir singing Queen songs, and a photographic workshop offering 1950s-style portraits.

Not surprisingly, the greatest interest in the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s reign is in London. The city has approved 1,768 road closures, including 227 in the borough of Wandsworth alone – more than the whole of Scotland put together.

Outside the capital, 91 applications have been made in Bristol and 72 in Leeds, against Edinburgh’s 34 and Glasgow’s eight.

The Local Government Association (LGA) believes the interest in the jubilee – which outstrips last year’s Royal Wedding, with 5,500 applications for events – shows the street party tradition has been “well and truly resurrected”.

Councillor Flick Rea, chairwoman of the LGA’s culture, tourism and sport board, said: “It seems people had such a great time at street parties last year that they want hold one again, and many of those who didn’t get involved don’t want to miss out this time round.”