Ross is gearing up to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee in style, with over a dozen street parties set to take place. At least five of these will close various roads off to traffic.

Ross Town Council was informed at the last full council meeting that they have received 17 applications for grant funding for street parties, resulting in the council expanding the grant scheme by £700. Mayor Ed O’Driscoll is planning on attending as many celebration events as possible.

A total of 36 street parties have been registered across Herefordshire to mark the jubilee. These permit the roads to close to traffic for set times, but there will be many other off-road events also being held across the extended holiday weekend, for which no notification is needed.

Most street parties are on the Sunday, June 5, but several are also being held across the previous three days. The closing date to request a street closure in the county was April 21.

Margaret Gabb is one of the Ross residents putting on a street party at Waterside to bolster the celebrations. Her event—which takes place on the bank holiday Friday, June 3—is hoping to see dozens of party goers enjoy music, games, and prizes. One of the many prizes includes an apple tree—donated by a local garden centre—which can be won in the raffle.

In Ross-on-Wye, Camp Road will close for a party for residents between 10am and 9pm on the Friday. Merrivale Crescent will close for a party between 11am and 5pm on the Sunday. Part of Sussex Avenue will close for a party between 9am and 6pm on the Sunday.

Walford Avenue, Tudorville will close for a party between 9am and 11.30pm on the Saturday. Waterside will close for a party between noon and an unspecified time on the Friday. The southwestern half of Wye Street, by the bandstand, will close for a town council event between 5.30pm and 11pm on the Saturday.

Ross-on-Wye Town Council last week announced their plans to light a beacon for the jubilee on the evening of Thursday, June 2. The Beacon, at The Prospect, will be lit at 9.45pm, and will be one of over 2,022 lit by charities, communities, and faith groups all over the UK.

The town crier is scheduled to announce a specially-written proclamation at the Market House at 2pm, heralding the lighting of the beacons later that day.

Following the town crier there’ll be choir performing at St Mary’s Church. The choirs will be parading out to The Prospect to sing the national anthem.

A piper will play Diu Regnare at 9.35pm, a unique tune specially written for the occasion by Piper Major, Stuart Liddell, the world’s leading piper—before the Beacon is then lit at 9.45pm.

A town council spokesperson said: “We are proud to be part of this momentous celebration. It is only appropriate that this unique milestone in history is marked. We are honoured to be part of this special event for Her Majesty the Queen’s 70th year as our monarch and head of the commonwealth on her platinum jubilee. With a weekend packed full of fantastic events we hope as many people as possible will join us to celebrate this very special occasion.”

The platinum plans are somewhat similar to celebrations ten years ago when patriotic parties, fireworks and live music were also highlights of a four-day bank holiday weekend celebrating the diamond jubilee of the Queen. After local uniformed organisations led a parade to the riverside where the beacon on The Prospect was lit at about 10pm, to coincide with the lighting of the royal beacon.