Diamond Jubilee 2012

As previously mentioned one of my fondest childhood memories is from the Queens Silver Jubilee some 35 years ago. My challenge this weekend has been to try and recreate some of those magic memories for the boys to carry forward into their lives, maybe for the Platinum Jubilee, maybe for the incarnation of Will's and Kate to the thrown. Either way the challenge is set for the boys to carry forward the Royal celebrations in another 25-35 years.

35 years ago at the Silver Jubilee celebrations in Walton Rd. My Mum with her late brother (Uncle David).

Now this was in the day when you could have proper street parties without all the health and safety and bureaucratic documentation the modern society dictates necessary for such events.

And check this photo out, from L-R. A young me at the tender age of 5 (almost the same as Joshua now), Nicky aged 6, Lisa aged 4 and our Uncle Dave on the far right.

Not only do I have memories from the Silver Jubilee but also from Charles and Diana's wedding in 1981 when my brother Michael would have been 3 years old (similar to Brandon now). My main memory from this Royal celebration was the ginormous hat which Uncle David made. One of my ideas for the Diamond Jubilee was to make a similar style of hat for each of the boys and let them decorate it themselves.

1981 and Lisa, me and Michael celebrating the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Di. Check out the big hat made by Uncle David.

So that was the past and now we skip forward 35 years and the first task was to try and get the house decorated. So up goes the bunting, flags and pictures of the Queen. The table gets dressed with a Union Jack table cloth and all of the boys memorabilia is laid out ready for when they wake up in the morning.

The bunting, flags and Queen tea towels don the outside of the house.

The dressed dining table ready for the boys breakfast.

The dressed dining table included the all important Royal mint coin and the Jubilee matchbox car amongst other collectibles (and consumables!).

We had quite a job explaining to the boys why the tea towels on the kitchen and living room windows only include a picture of the Queen and not the King. Explaining Prince Phillip was getting a bit confusing so it was left as Queen Elizabeth on the window because there was not space for King Phillip. Surprisingly both boys have remembered the Queen and Prince's names and that the Jubilee is for the 60 year celebration. 

The living room and kitchen windows.

The boys getting into the patriotic celebration with their Union Jack head wear and Union Jack windmills.

Later in the day we got onto one of the more important activities for the boys - letting them decorate their home made Jubilee party hats. I made up the base hats the previous night and then printed off loads of clip art for the boys to cut out and glue onto their hats.

The funny boy Brandon proudly wearing his finished masterpiece.

Joshua's hat turned out a bit top heavy due to an ambitious square base. I think this may need modifying to look more like Brandon's hat design.

For some dumb reason we purchased the boys these Union Jack trumpet type toys and boy what a mistake that was. Talk about loud. You would think we would have learnt our lesson by now with noisy toys. This is usually something the grand parents buy their grand children to wind up the kids parents (or payback for the noise you put them through as children!!).

Not quite as in tune as the song Gary Barlow has commissioned for the Queens Jubilee.

Tina's contribution to the events was the catering which encompassed some gorgeous Jubilee double chocolate cup cakes decorates with flags, Royal guards and Union Jack rings for the boys. 

The Diamond Jubilee cup cake collection.