Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June 2022
In collaboration with local associations and businesses, Ruddington Parish Council has organised a weekend of events to mark the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
Between Thursday 2nd and Sunday 5th June, The Green will be home to the beacon-lighting, the tree-planting ceremony and a community picnic, followed by games and live music for all to enjoy. The village will be decorated with red, blue and white flowers, ribbons, flags and yarn bombing displays throughout the four-day celebration.
After two years of being apart and having to minimise 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 the evening of Thursday 2nd June, we have come up with our own way of celebrating Her Majesty the Queen’s big milestone, by joining forces with groups churches and businesses throughout our community.
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.
Saturday afternoon will see village tours given by Gavin Walker (Chair of Ruddington Village Museum and Ruddington Local History & Amenity Society), followed by an afternoon of BBQ-style food, music from Carlton Brass Band and drinks at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre (formerly GCRN). Tickets for the Heritage Centre’s event cost £8 and are available now from The Heritage Café (open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm).
Sunday 5th June is without doubt the big day of the weekend, starting with a service on The Green at 10am organised by St Peter’s Church. The service will be led by Councillor Jane Gray – who is looking for singers and/or musicians who would like to get involved.
She explains: “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’ll be a 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.”
After the service, everybody is welcome to join us from 12 noon on The Green for a bring-your-own community picnic. There’ll be live music from Nottingham Concert Band, games and activities for the children, and a tombola, before the event culminates 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, and an ice cream van will also be making an appearance.
But that’s not all, as other events will be running alongside the main ones:
- The Framework Knitter Museum has been collecting nominations for Ruddington Diamonds (people who’ve helped make Ruddington what it is now), which will be knitted on a banner that will be paraded on Sunday 5th June
- The local WI group is creating a static display of their history in Ruddington at The Framework Knitters Museum
- During the two weeks prior to the Jubilee, Ruddington Library will be displaying “A snapshot of life in Ruddington,” created by Ruddington Museum
- Lockton Dance School is organising a tea dance on Friday 3rd June
Find out more
For more information about the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, please contact Ylenia Astegiano, Ruddington Parish Councillor & Events Working Group member at yleniaastegiano@gmail.com or on 07548 483276.
Singer and/or musician?
If you’d like to get involved on Sunday June 5th, as a singer and/or musician, please call Councillor Gray as soon as possible on 07967 443 463 or email janegray1@gmail.com.