Well, what a weekend that was! Pomp and circumstance at its best. A thousand years of tradition played out at Westminster Abbey; a showcase of Britain’s artistic prowess at Windsor with an incredible drone display; and to cap it all Leader of the Commons, my colleague, Penny Mordaunt storming it with the Pippa Middleton spotlight throughout the whole service.
And locally, congratulations to Lancing Parish Council and its Chairman Mike Mendoza for eclipsing all the local authorities with a weekend of entertainment for the whole community. So much so that I spent most of the weekend bumping into the Chairman of Adur Council and the Mayor of Worthing finding more to do in the village than the neighbouring towns. In fact, the Mayor of Worthing came over to Shoreham on Saturday afternoon to join Andy McGregor, and everyone’s favourite town crier Bob Smytherman for the official proclamation appropriately on Coronation Green.
Before that there was a grand screening of the proceedings and picnic at Lancing Parish Hall and then in the evening Lancing Beach Green was one of the few places in the South-East to light a beacon entertaining the crowds with some very jolly music. So jolly that Father Felix and I shared a few reels to the brilliant violinist Mathew English. The following day there was lots more to do as Lancing Parish Council filled the Parish Hall car park with stalls and a grand street party in Chester Avenue.
From there it was on to Findon Valley where the Residents Association surpassed their Platinum Jubilee party from last year and as a nice touch there was a traditional Punch & Judy show for the children and the formal opening of the new Queen’s memorial garden.
How are we going to beat that this weekend? Well I shall be holding my regular street surgery at Shoreham Farmer’s Market and expecting a lot of parents marching in protest at the secondary school places debacle.
