COMMUNITY stalwarts from across Stockton Borough will be special guests at a spectacular celebration to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday this summer.
On 12 June, representatives from charities, voluntary groups and schools will be joined by the Lord-Lieutenant of County Durham and the Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees for a street party themed community lunch on Stockton High Street.
Members of the public are also encouraged to come along to participate in a range of fun-filled family activities culminating in the unveiling of The Stockton Flyer, an automaton of giant proportions which commemorates Stockton’s railway and industrial heritage.
The launch of the new sculpture will be a marvellous spectacle when it rises from the plinth for the first time with its moving wings, bells and whistles, surrounded by cheering crowds.
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture, Councillor Norma Wilburn, said: “What better way to mark the Queen’s birthday than with a community lunch to celebrate the tireless and fantastic work of hundreds of community groups and volunteers who do so much to help make our Borough a great place to live, work and learn and for which we owe a very big thank you.
“The Flyer deserves a warm welcome to its new home and provides a great opportunity to celebrate pride in our area and our achievements. It’s unveiling is certainly not to be missed as its emergence from the plinth will be a magnificent sight.”
The street party will be held on the same afternoon that the Patron’s Lunch takes place on The Mall in London and Billingham and Yarm Town Councils are also planning celebrations.
Families from across the Borough are urged to join the party by bringing along a picnic to Stockton High Street and enjoying model making workshops, a fairground, street theatre and even a dog show.
Following the 12 June, visitors to Stockton High Street will be able to watch the Stockton Flyer appear from the plinth at 1pm each day.
Meanwhile on 21 April, The Queen’s official birthday, a series of beacons will be lit across the Borough by a number of community groups.