MILLIONS of us are frantically hunting bunting for Platinum Jubilee street parties being held all over the country during next week’s four-day Bank Holiday.
But for the lucky residents of five streets, staging a jubilee jamboree will no longer be a headache – because they are the winners of our brilliant Sun street party competition.
We teamed up with Iceland and The Food Warehouse to give away five prizes of £2,000 so the winners could buy everything they need for their royal knees-up, including food, booze, table settings and, of course, bunting.
Mike Ridley reveals our five winners – who are now streets ahead getting ready for the big weekend . . .
THE patriotic people of Pinkett Street love a right royal knees-up.
Since the Queen’s coronation in 1953 these locals have organised TEN royal parties in their road in Worcester.
But their 11th do – next weekend’s Platinum Jubilee street party – will be the best ever.
That’s because organiser Susanne Albutt has just collected £2,000 of Iceland vouchers to buy all the goodies they need to treat 300 residents to a grand day out on the Sunday of the long Bank Holiday.
And among those attending will be seven pensioners who were there as children when Pinkett Street celebrated young Queen Elizabeth’s coronation.
The 1953 street party was organised by Sandra Smith’s mum Louisa and her aunt Doris.
Sandra, 74, a retired childminder says: “My mum did the party in the back garden of the butcher’s shop on our street.
"I was five, but can remember sitting on scaffolding planks around tables and cheering.
“My mum went door to door with a big old pram filling it up with jellies, blancmanges and sandwiches from neighbours.
"It’s so special to see childhood friends from that party again now, almost 70 years later.
“I still live on the street and the others mostly live locally. We’re together again, celebrating another landmark in history.
“It’s brilliant that The Sun and Iceland are boosting community spirit as we pay tribute to our amazing Queen.
“We’re thrilled to be one of the winning streets.”
Iceland boss Richard Walker says: “Pinkett Street is a very worthy winner of the £2,000 vouchers.”
ORGANISERS of Britain’s biggest Jubilee street party are using their £2,000 to help feed 5,000 people who will sit at a line of picnic tables stretching one and a half miles.
Hundreds of tables will line the seafront promenade in Morecambe, Lancs, for a record-breaking lunch to support cancer and Ukraine charities and hold a mass toast to the Queen.
Organisers said winning our competition means they can lay on party food, rather than expect revellers to fork out for it themselves, as many hard-pressed families are struggling with the rising cost of living.
Town councillor Tricia Heath says: “The Sun and Iceland’s vouchers mean we can now provide food for attendees.”
A van has been booked for a giant order from Iceland for grub, flags and Union Jack cups for the bash next Sunday.
Sun reader Sue Mason nominated Morecambe’s extra-big lunch for one of our £2,000 prizes.
Sue, 65, a retired supermarket worker, will head to the party with six Women’s Institute pals decked out in red, white and blue outfits.
She says: “It’s great we’ve won, as it means people can enjoy the party without worrying about the cost.”
At the Diamond Jubilee in 2012, 2,000 people had lunch on the prom and locals were determined to set a new Jubilee record this time.
Morecambe’s diverse communities will come together for the bash.
The Town Council’s chief officer, Luke Trevaskis, said: “We’re hoping for the biggest Jubilee street party in the UK.”
A STREET where families were made homeless by floods is smiling again after winning our Jubilee jackpot.
Some residents of Dumfries Street in Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, had to move out for six months after Storm Dennis wrecked their homes in February 2020.
Locals were worried they would not be able to afford to have a Jubilee street party, but thanks to The Sun and Iceland they can now have a brilliant day next Saturday.
More than 120 residents of the street will join in with the celebration thanks to our £2,000 prize.
And the big-hearted people of Dumfries Street will donate any money left over to a local food bank and homeless charities.
Mair Dean, 75, a retired supermarket manager, will never forget the day floods wrecked their street.
She says: “The sludge was frightening. People had to move out. Those who stayed – like us – had to live upstairs due to damage downstairs.
“It has been very upsetting, but now there’s joy everywhere. No one can believe we’ve won the competition.
“We’re a little mining village – things like this don’t happen to us. Thank you.
“We’re a deprived area. People are concerned about having enough money to have a party. But that barrier has gone now.
“The VE Day 75 celebration in 2020 gave us a taste for community parties and this time we have got local radio, musicians, fire engines, police cars, bingo and dancing lined up.
“And we’ll all be toasting The Sun.”
LOW-KEY plans for a Jubilee celebration on their housing estate have been ditched after locals won The Sun’s £2,000 prize.
Now 500 residents of Udston estate in Hamilton, South Lanarks, will have a right royal knees-up instead on Thursday.
Leaflet firm boss Iain Milligan, 53, says: “We’ve never had a party before but such a big occasion just had to be marked.”
He adds: “We’d managed to get £840 together from donations and fundraising, so we are providing kids’ party bags with balloons, bracelets, pencils and hats.
“But winning The Sun’s competition means we can now feed everyone, as well as giving food and cakes to a nursing home and to families here who are struggling with the cost of living.”
People on the estate are delighted. Iain says: “Everyone’s invited and we’ll celebrate in style – we couldn’t have done it without The Sun.”
GWEN COOK has organised street parties in Leigham Court Drive since the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 2002.
She was telling a meeting to plan their Platinum Jubilee street party that it was unlikely they had won The Sun’s £2,000 prize, so the 300 locals would have to raise money for their do in the Essex town.
Gwen, 53, says: “We were in the middle of a neighbours’ meeting about the street party and just saying, ‘Well we didn’t win then’ when the phone rang to say we HAD won.
“We thought it was a wind-up at first. Then we all started cheering and screaming.”
Locals won’t have to go far to spend their £2,000 worth of vouchers – as there is an Iceland store right on their road.
Mum-of-four Gwen says: “It’s like our corner shop. The money really helps. We are going to push the boat out now and it’s going to be The Sun wot won it for us.”
She added: “We’re expecting 300 people and have organised a Britain’s Got Talent competition, most patriotic window, chalking the street, a bake-off, musician and every game you’ve ever heard of.
“It’s about everyone coming together.”
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