COMMUNITIES in the county are already beginning to plan street parties, fetes and other celebrations ahead of the royal wedding.
With just over three months to go until Prince William marries Kate Middleton on April 29, parish councils, residents’ associations and community organisations are already discussing how they will mark the event in their local areas.
This week Northamptonshire County Council has written to groups to encourage them to hold royal wedding events, and produced an information pack to help those planning an event.
Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Ecton Brook), cabinet member for communications, said: “Northamptonshire has a proud and close relationship with Prince William because of the Spencer family. Likewise the county has a proud history of celebrating royal events such as this. We thought it was important as a council we did everything we could to make sure people across the county feel equipped and able to organise their own celebration events for the wedding.
“Organising something like a street party or a fete can seem very overwhelming, with lots of conflicting advice about what permissions are needed, what insurance is required and what licences should be obtained.
“The idea of this pack is to put all this information in one place to make it straightforward and easy for anyone wanting to get their community together to celebrate the big day.”
Wootton Parish Council clerk Jayne Saunders said members were due to meet next week to discuss how to mark the royal wedding.
She said: “We’re talking about holding it in the main hall at Wootton Community and Sports Centre and planning some kind of very British tea and cucumber sandwiches refreshments, but nothing has been decided yet.
“I think the council’s pack contains very useful information and probably will encourage people to think about doing something to celebrate the day. It’s a bank holiday after all, and it’s nice to do something for the community because I don’t think we do enough of that sort of thing in this country.”
Visit www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/royalwedding or email royal wedding@northamptonshire.gov.uk
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