Communities to celebrate the Queen as Nottinghamshire County Show begins Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Young people, community groups and traders will sing, dance and hang out the flags to pay tribute to the Queen when they celebrate her Platinum Jubilee at this weekend’s Nottinghamshire County Show.
The show, which takes place at Newark Showground on Saturday, has lined up a day-long programme of events to mark the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation ahead of the UK’s official celebrations next month.
It includes a competition among traders to decorate their stalls with a Jubilee theme, Jubilee-themed cake decorating contests and a live graffiti artist creating a Platinum Jubilee mural.
But the main centre of activity will be the George Stephenson Exhibition Hall, where a whole programme of events organised by Nottinghamshire County Council and the Lord Lieutenant’s Office and supported by Nottingham Trent University, will pay tribute to the Queen’s years on the throne and recall her past visits to the county.
It is the county’s first official celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and will include music and singing performances and a climbing wall courtesy of students at Portland College.
There will also be more performances from local scouts and Boys Brigade members and an appearance from Pulp Friction, an East Midlands social enterprise which supports people with learning difficulties and will be bringing its smoothie-making bike.
There is also a display of pictures looking back at previous Queen’s visit to the county, including when she opened the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham in 1977 — her Silver Jubilee year.
All of the events will take place alongside a busy schedule of activities that have been lined up for the show, including livestock displays, rural skills, a family friendly dog show, a Young Farmers Clubs lawnmower race, a festival of food and a flypast from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Avro Lancaster bomber.
Elizabeth Halsall, organiser of the Nottinghamshire County Show, said: “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a momentous occasion that will be marked across the country and the Commonwealth and we’re very proud to host the county’s first official celebrations.
“Not only will there be a sea of red, white and blue in the trade stands and rural skills section, the George Stephenson Centre will be alive with events reflecting what the Queen means to different communities across the county.”
Tickets are still available in advance through www.nottinghamshirecountyshow.com or on the gate, costing £14 for adults.
Children 16 and under are free.