IT’S time to dust off your red, white and blue flags and bunting as next week, the town will be celebrating a historic moment in British history, the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee!
Across the four-day bank holiday weekend, from Thursday 2nd June to Sunday 5th June, a whole host of events have been planned to celebrate the 70-year reign of Queen Elizabeth II – the first British monarch to reach this milestone.
A special jubilee celebration is being held at the Old Showfield grounds on Thursday 2nd June which will include a mass picnic, live music and entertainment from 2pm to 4pm. The town council has already added a stone centre piece to the blossom circle, and they will be unveiling a special inscription at 3pm on the day.
Other events include • a Frome Town Band ‘Blowout’ on Sunday 5th June with a concert of Jubilee Tunes in the Victoria Park Bandstand and a chance try out a brass instrument (see page 19 for details); • a special Independent Market on Sunday 5th June (see page 6) • a Street Party at the Mason’s Arms • and a special ceremonial lighting of the town’s iconic Valentine lamp at 9.3pm on the Thursday evening.
The majority of Frome’s independent traders in the town centre have said that they will be staying open across the four-day bank holiday weekend, and they are encouraging locals to take advantage and ‘shop local’. “Explore Frome, shop local and support local independents,” said a spokesperson for local traders.
Picnic, fun & games and music
For its Jubilee celebration event, the town council say, “Join us with a picnic and relax in the sunshine in one of the town’s most glorious open spaces and admire the blossom circle with new easily accessible pathways created by the town rangers. The ceremonial stones on either side of the circle have been kindly donated by local quarries and Curtis Ilott has provided the inscription work.
“The event will also see the new royal Windsor oak as the centrepiece. Julian Hight, our local tree author will tell us about the heritage of the oak which he was able to secure from Windsor Great Park and will be on hand to give tours of the numerous trees in the Showfield.
“There will be fun and games (including a dog agility course) and acoustic music from Dom & Bel. Enjoy refreshments from Active and in Touch’s tea ladies, The Crumpeteers, or something more cooling from Tony’s ice cream or Flow on the go.”
The town decided how to spend the £15,000 jubilee budget through the ‘People’s Budget jubilee vote’ and chose the addition of a centre piece to the blossom circle at the Old Showfield. The blossom circle was planted last year by representatives of Frome’s community who had been particularly community-minded in the pandemic.
Cllr Mark Dorrington says, “A Platinum Jubilee is really something to behold, and we are delighted that the people of Frome chose the blossom circle to be at the centre of their celebrations.”
Valentine lamp lighting
The town council continued, “The evening will see further activity to mark this special day. There is a long tradition of celebrating royal jubilees, weddings, and coronations with the lighting of beacons. More than 2,022 beacons will be lit throughout the United Kingdom and Commonwealth on the evening of Thursday 2nd June, and Frome will play its part with Reg Ling lighting the Valentine Lamp.”
“A Platinum Jubilee comes along once every 70 years, and I am delighted to be able to be master of ceremonies for this auspicious occasion,” said Reg.
The town crier will also play his part, performing three proclamations on the day, the first at 2pm on the Boyle Cross. He will then join with the mayor at the unveiling of the plaque at the Showfield at 3pm. Finally, he will then be part of the ceremonial lighting of the Valentine lamp at 9.30pm.
