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| Queen's diamond jubilee: pageants, parties and more - live | Queen's diamond jubilee: pageants, parties and more - live |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| 11.58am: The Guardian's Peter Walker has been chatting to revellers while on his way to Blackfriars bridge on the Thames: | |
| I asked one all-age group of 12 from the Isle of Wight ('We're still part of the kingdom') about their reasons for coming. These seemed more about wanting to join in a unifying, national event than specific love or loyalty for the Queen. | |
| 'It's a way we mark the passage of time, these events, and how things change,' said Paul McLaren, like most of his party wearing a cardboard union flag bowler hat. 'Think back to the footage from 1952 - that's one of the ways we remember what things were like then. Of course, it's more modest this time as we've spent so much on the Olympics.' | |
| The consensus was that while feelings towards the Queen and Prince Charles are warm but a bit tepid, there is much more connection felt with the next generation down. | |
| 'William and Harry really feel like they're one of us,' said Sharon George. 'Of course, they're not, but they're better at pretending.'" | |
| 11.51am: Another view on festivities elsewhere in the UK has been filed by Martin Wainwright, the Guardian's northern editor: | |
| Steady rain in Yorkshire initially had the appearance of being set in for the day, with dull grey clouds low over the Pennines and sea frets or fogs along part of the coast. But things have been lightening up, and there's some hope that the Met Office forecast will prove pessimistic. | |
| More than 260 street parties are planned in Yorkshire and Humberside including four which are closing main roads in North Yorkshire for a fee of £300 a time. Parties in side roads are free. Last night, tents, gazebos and 'sun' umbrellas mushroomed in Leeds and Bradford suburbs; evidence that stoicism rather than cancellation is the order of the day. | |
| One of the best of the jubilee events in the region has already taken place, prudently opting for last week's warmer and sunnier weather. | |
| A huge procession, overflowing with schoolchildren and applauded by local residents, wound through the Girlington area of Bradford, home of many British Asian families. At its head, waving from a car in monarchical style, were Karam and Katari Chand, aged 106 and 99, who have been married for 87 years and are the world's oldest married couple. | |
| Bunting is everywhere in spite of the downpours and one of the main regional suppliers, Flying colours of Knaresborough, has taken on extra staff and run constant overtime to meet a fourfold rise in demand. The Bradford-based supermarket Morrison's has evidence that the cucumber sandwich, as royal a symbol as the corgi, is vying with the cupcake on party menus. In the last week, over 30,000 cucumbers were sold." | |
| 11.45am: A little bit now on jubilee celebrations in Northern Ireland, where events coincide with the first day in office for Belfast's new 27-year-old lord mayor, and with the progress there of the Olympic torch relay. | |
| The Guardian's Ireland correspondent, Henry McDonald, reports that Gavin Robinson's first day as Belfast's first citizen will be dominated by diamond jubilee parties across the city. | |
| The Democratic Unionist party councillor's first official engagement will be to attend a street party at Orangefield Park in east Belfast at 1pm. He will also host an afternoon tea party at Belfast city hall which will include couples celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries this year. | |
| 11.38am: My colleague Shiv Malik has spotted another interesting jubilee-related contribution also coming out of Bristol: | |
| The radical community group the People's Republic of Stokes Croft, famed in Bristol for their regenerative street artworks, have chipped in with their own take on the jubilee. | |
| At their base in Stokes Croft they have a kiln where they keep a tradition of local pottery making alive. From those fires they have produced a set of fine china, mugs, plates and teapots "commemorating" the Queen's reign. | |
| A protest cuppa? What could be more British? | |
| 11.28am: Of course, we're not even half way through the jubilee, which started yesterday. Here's a picture gallery giving a flavour of some of Saturday's scenes. | |
| It includes (above) what is thought to be a new piece by the street artist Banksy, which has appeared in Bristol. | |
| 11.19am: Caroline Davies, another Guardian journalist who has chronicled the royal family over the years, is also out and about today. She tweets: | |
| At Tower Bridge the crowd is building up. People in rain ponchos and wrapped in flags. All seem to be in good spirits.#jubilee | |
| — caroline davies (@ccdavies) June 3, 2012 | |
| For other twitter coverage from the Thames, you can follow the Guardian's Peter Walker, Sam Jones, and Stephen Bates. | |
| 11.14am: In weather terms, it seems the day may not be a washout after all. Jubilee revellers along the Thames have been offered a glimmer of hope that conditions may brighten this afternoon. | 11.14am: In weather terms, it seems the day may not be a washout after all. Jubilee revellers along the Thames have been offered a glimmer of hope that conditions may brighten this afternoon. |
| Matt Dobson, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, says: | Matt Dobson, a forecaster at MeteoGroup, the weather division of the Press Association, says: |
| London will see a lot of cloud today and rain showers throughout the day, although there should be a few bright spells. During the Thames pageant there could be heavy showers over London with some dry interludes. Temperatures may get up to maximums of 15C but that is still quite cool for this time of year. | |
| People should definitely take a brolly and a mac if they are going to be out and about celebrating the Jubilee." | People should definitely take a brolly and a mac if they are going to be out and about celebrating the Jubilee." |
| And those attending street parties up and down the country are also expected to have a challenging day with temperatures below what is usual for this time of year. | And those attending street parties up and down the country are also expected to have a challenging day with temperatures below what is usual for this time of year. |
| Street parties in the rest of the country are facing similar conditions, with southern England set to see quite heavy showers and few sunny spells. | Street parties in the rest of the country are facing similar conditions, with southern England set to see quite heavy showers and few sunny spells. |
| Temperatures across Wales, the Midlands, East Anglia and the north of England will see a maximum of between 8C and 12C, with rain in places. | Temperatures across Wales, the Midlands, East Anglia and the north of England will see a maximum of between 8C and 12C, with rain in places. |
| In Northern Ireland, Scotland and the far north of England the day will be cool, bright and breezy with sunshine interrupted by scattered showers. | In Northern Ireland, Scotland and the far north of England the day will be cool, bright and breezy with sunshine interrupted by scattered showers. |
| 11.04am: Here's a piece to give you a bit of a quick broad overview of what lies ahead today. | 11.04am: Here's a piece to give you a bit of a quick broad overview of what lies ahead today. |
| More than 20,000 people will be on the boats, which are expected to be watched by at least 1 million people lining the river's banks and bridges as central London comes to a virtual standstill. | More than 20,000 people will be on the boats, which are expected to be watched by at least 1 million people lining the river's banks and bridges as central London comes to a virtual standstill. |
| Up to 50 large screens have been placed along the river for people to view the flotilla, which sets off from Putney at 2.30pm and finishes at Tower Bridge at 5.30pm when the last of the vessels arrive. | Up to 50 large screens have been placed along the river for people to view the flotilla, which sets off from Putney at 2.30pm and finishes at Tower Bridge at 5.30pm when the last of the vessels arrive. |
| 10.59am: A team of Guardian reporters are out and about today, and will be filing reports from vantage points along the Thames and outside of London. Stephen Bates, a veteran reporter on all matters royal for the Guardian, might have the best position of all. He's on board Broad Ambition, a lovingly restored Norfolk Broads cruiser, which will be in the historic boats section of the Thames flotilla. His first call from the river came through earlier: | 10.59am: A team of Guardian reporters are out and about today, and will be filing reports from vantage points along the Thames and outside of London. Stephen Bates, a veteran reporter on all matters royal for the Guardian, might have the best position of all. He's on board Broad Ambition, a lovingly restored Norfolk Broads cruiser, which will be in the historic boats section of the Thames flotilla. His first call from the river came through earlier: |
| We're currently moored above Putney: came aboard before 8am though we won't be underway until 2pm. In our part of the river we're surrounded by little boats, old Royal Navy craft, cruisers, river boats, even gondolas. | We're currently moored above Putney: came aboard before 8am though we won't be underway until 2pm. In our part of the river we're surrounded by little boats, old Royal Navy craft, cruisers, river boats, even gondolas. |
| Broad Ambition was rescued in a derelict state by some retired Navy men who spent five years (and £80,000) lovingly restoring it. | Broad Ambition was rescued in a derelict state by some retired Navy men who spent five years (and £80,000) lovingly restoring it. |
| They're all aboard. We're all going to dress in 1960s gear in keeping with the boat and spirit of the occasion: white polonecks and beige slacks, like superannuated Monkees. Or, in my case, a fat mushroom…" | They're all aboard. We're all going to dress in 1960s gear in keeping with the boat and spirit of the occasion: white polonecks and beige slacks, like superannuated Monkees. Or, in my case, a fat mushroom…" |
| 10.48am: Good morning and welcome to the Guardian's live blog coverage of the Queen's diamond jubilee, including today's centrepiece event, a flotilla of 1,000 boats that will make its way down the river Thames, led by the Queen's barge. | 10.48am: Good morning and welcome to the Guardian's live blog coverage of the Queen's diamond jubilee, including today's centrepiece event, a flotilla of 1,000 boats that will make its way down the river Thames, led by the Queen's barge. |
| We're also going to report on events around the UK, particularly the thousands of street parties taking place alongside The Big Lunch, a charity initiative designed to get communities to spend time together. | We're also going to report on events around the UK, particularly the thousands of street parties taking place alongside The Big Lunch, a charity initiative designed to get communities to spend time together. |
| As forecast, the heavens have opened and it's a pretty damp day out there so far, not that rain seems to have deterred many of the Queen's admirers who are are already beginning to line the banks of the Thames before the nautical parade. | As forecast, the heavens have opened and it's a pretty damp day out there so far, not that rain seems to have deterred many of the Queen's admirers who are are already beginning to line the banks of the Thames before the nautical parade. |
| Of course, not everyone is quite so enthusiastic about today. Republic, the anti-monarchy group, has promised the "biggest anti-monarchy protest in living memory" at the river pageant. | Of course, not everyone is quite so enthusiastic about today. Republic, the anti-monarchy group, has promised the "biggest anti-monarchy protest in living memory" at the river pageant. |
| So whether you're clad in all-weather gear and sat in a deckchair by the Thames, laying out Queen cakes under a tarpaulin at a street party, unfurling a republican banner or simply keeping abreast of the biggest news event of the weekend, feel free to contribute comments below and keep abreast of developments as they unfold. | So whether you're clad in all-weather gear and sat in a deckchair by the Thames, laying out Queen cakes under a tarpaulin at a street party, unfurling a republican banner or simply keeping abreast of the biggest news event of the weekend, feel free to contribute comments below and keep abreast of developments as they unfold. |
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