The Big Platinum Jubilee weekend is quickly approaching and with activities planned across Britain, it can be difficult to choose how to best spend your time.
Whether you fancy one of the extravagant events being held in London, smaller village picnics, or musical shows planned around the country, there’s certainly something for everybody as the nation celebrates Her Majesty's unprecedented 70 years on the throne.
Here are seven ideas for how to spend the upcoming four day bank holiday weekend
1. Go to one of the official events
Big or small, busy or quiet, many places around the country will be holding their own platinum jubilee events this coming weekend.
If you’re in London why not attend the Trooping of the Colours on 2nd June or witness the iconic Platinum Jubilee Pageant on 5th June. But don’t worry if you can’t make it to any of the official events, almost all of them will be broadcast to some degree on television or the internet, with the Platinum Party at the Palace on 4th June, a musical extravaganza you won’t want to miss, set to be one of the highlights.
2. The Big Jubilee Lunch
As the nation celebrates the Queen’s Jubilee, for many the focus will be on their immediate community rather than the more extravagant and larger events being held in the cities.
The Big Jubilee Lunch is essentially small community events held around Britain with local people gathering to eat, drink and be merry. What better way to celebrate the big occasions than by meeting and spending time with those who live closest, but with whom we never seem to have time to properly meet.
Events are being held across the country and over the entire four-day weekend, so check out the link above, and find a Big Jubilee Lunch near you.
3. Get out and be active
This eating and drinking are all well and good, but four days of it might become too much. Why not break up the festivities by getting out, using those muscles, and raising the heart rate - you’ll almost certainly feel better for it.
Bike rides, long walks, wild swims, or simply a quick kick around in the park are all excellent ways to spend a leisurely time before or after some of the official events. If you can get out and enjoy nature at the same time, then even better.
4. Visit somewhere you’ve never been
With four days on offer, this Jubilee bank holiday weekend provides more than enough time to visit somewhere you’ve never been, but have always wanted to go. Maybe it’s one of Britain’s many excellent castles or small quaint towns that you have long fancied exploring but just never got around to it.
Visiting a new place is always an exciting day out and what better way to make sure you’ll always remember this Jubilee weekend than with a unique visit you’ll never forget.
But it’s not simply about having a good time. Visiting new places comes with a host of benefits for the body, from improving mental health, boosting your immune system, and helping to alleviate that dangerous boredom that can have a habit of dragging us down.
5. Hit the beach
With temperatures climbing and the early forecast looking good (so far) this long weekend could be the perfect opportunity to hit the beach, at least for one of the days.
With more than 18,640 miles worth of coastline and over 1,500 individual beaches, Britain is very much a sea nation that is blessed with many spectacular beaches. While the water may still be a little on the chilly side, a day spent relaxing on the sand with a picnic and all your loved ones around you, is about as good as it gets.
6. Witness an old tradition and take part
While many of the larger and busier events are being held in London and other major cities, this Jubilee weekend will also see a time-honoured tradition that has been happening for hundreds of years.
The lighting of the beacons is a much loved British tradition that occurs for jubilees and certain birthdays and involves beacons around the nation being lit at the same time, whether it's at the top of mountains, church and cathedral towers, castle battlements, on town and village greens, country estates, parks, farms, along beaches, or cliff tops.
It is quite simply a spectacular sight when you can see more than one, and what’s more, you can even take part. As anybody who regularly attends Guy Fawkes celebrations in the UK, a large bonfire, good food, and great company, is always an evening to remember.
7. Relax
Too often we spend our time off frantically rushing around trying to make the most of our spare time. This often leaves us feeling jaded by the end of it, wondering why we didn’t try and relax more.
This long weekend offers four days to do exactly as you wish, so while you might want to hit some of the official events, attend the village picnic and also visit that castle that has long been on the list, don’t forget to find some time to relax.
Whether this is by simply sitting in the garden, doing a bit of gardening, catching up with a TV series, or taking a yoga class, it’s important that you feel refreshed and energised when you come out of the big weekend. A lot is happening and it can be tempting to try and cram too much in. Choose your events carefully and don’t forget to find time to relax.
