Royal Barge Gloriana bearing the Royal Coat of Arms (although it heads up the Pageant, none of the Royal family will travel in the Gloriana)
With just two weeks to go till the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, things in London are happening at a great pace now with flags flying, boats being painted and routes planned out. Of all the events in 2012 the celebration of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will be the most historic as the nation will celebrate her 60 year reign up and down the country during the year, and particularly on the Bank Holiday weekend of June 2nd-5th. The only other monarch to have had such a long reign to date is Queen Victoria, who reigned for just over 63 years (to be exact: 63 years, 7 months, and 2 days). I have been following news on the various events with a close eye and trying to keep abreast of all the news and schedules, especially for the Thames River Pageant on June 3rd; the largest flotilla to be assembled for 350 years. I have done some research and in case you find this page before the day I have noted the following information for your convenience. I do recommend though that you follow their twitter account and of course keep an eye on their website for any changes etc.
So here goes:
EVENT INFORMATION
The Diamond Jubilee river pageant will feature 1,000 boats, 20,000 eager (read ‘lucky’) participants and millions of cheering spectators (including me!!).
Huge swathes of London will be closed for the Diamond Jubilee. As of this week, half of The Mall is already closed and will in fact remain shut for the rest of the summer taking the Olympics into account as well. Constitution Hill from Hyde Park Corner and part of St James’s Park are also closed until June 13th, and from Monday May 21st the eastbound lane of Birdcage Walk will be closed.
The Thames Pageant on June 3rd will affect 13 of London’s most central bridges; some closed all day, others part of the time, and only a few will be open to traffic at certain times of the day, many will only allow pedestrians to cross and some will be only open to invited spectators who will be able to watch the Thames Pageant from specific bridges. Six trumpeters from Her Majesty’s Royal Marines will perform fanfares to each of the Thames bridges to herald the arrival of the Queen.
Queen's Troops at Trooping the Colour 2010
The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant will involve extensive road and bridge closures, as well as wider congestion throughout the capital and a full inventory of the operational plans was published on 17th May via their website. This includes an interactive map detailing the locations of toilets, disabled access areas, the 50 large viewing screens, and road and bridge closures, please read below for logistical information about the Pageant.
Pageant route and timings
On Sunday June 3rd 2012, over 1,000 boats will muster on the Thames to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee. The procession, headed by the Royal Barge Gloriana, built especially for this occasion, will feature a seven-mile long procession of ’Dunkirk’ little ships, historic vessels, kayaks, narrowboats, cutters (do look out for the cutter ‘Trinity Tide’ that will be rowed by my friend Joe and his team (white boat, green canopy), steam boats and tugs and pleasure vessels of all shapes and sizes will take part along with representatives from the Armed Forces, the Fire Service, the Police and other services. There will also be passenger boats carrying up to thirty thousand members of the public.
artists impression of the Spirit of Chartwell and Tower Bridge
The formal river procession will be between 2pm and 6pm, starting upriver of Battersea Bridge and finishing downriver of Tower Bridge. The boats will muster between Hammersmith and Battersea and disperse from Tower Bridge to West India Docks. One boat will hold the Royal Jubilee bells – and the ten floating music barges, travelling the length of central London in the flotilla will along the way, peal the bells, with riverside Churches returning the peals as the boats pass. The Queen and some members of the Royal family will travel on the Spirit of Chartwell loaned to the Queen for this auspicious occasion and specially fitted out. Downriver of London Bridge, there will be a gun salute.
Tower Bridge from where the boats will disperse
The Pageant route is approximately 7 miles (11 kilometres) long and it will take the flotilla approximately 75 minutes to pass any given point along the route – the full route, including the mustering and dispersal areas, is approximately 13.9 miles (22.4 kilometres).
Viewing areas and large viewing screens
If you intend watching the Pageant from the riverfront, there will be many opportunities to view the procession from prime positions along the route, supplemented by large outdoor screens showing live coverage of the Pageant. See the interactive map detailing the locations of these screens on their website.
In order to avoid overcrowding, and for public safety, viewing areas around the large screens will open from 8am on the day and will be regulated by a team of event stewards and closed once they reach capacity.
Road and bridge closures
On June 3rd, road closures will commence from 7am, with some bridges between Battersea Bridge and Tower Bridge being closed to road traffic from 7am until early evening, as well as which there will be severe restrictions to road access in central London throughout the Pageant and you are strongly advised to use public transport.
Details of the precise locations and timings of traffic disruptions, as well as all other important information will be available via their website.
Access to properties for local residents and their guests
Once the designated viewing areas around the large viewing screens on the riverbank reach capacity, a number of closures will be put in place restricting pedestrian access to specific areas. A team of event stewards will be managing each of these closure points and will expedite access for any resident and any guests of residents should they require it. Please be aware that once these barriers are closed there will probably be considerable crowds on both sides of the barriers so it will take some time to cross.
To ensure your day is as enjoyable as possible, the organisers suggest you and/or your guests carry a utility bill or similar document displaying your name and address which can be shown to the event stewards when passing through closed barrier points. This is not obligatory but it could speed up movement within the area.
Disabled access
A number of designated viewing areas for spectators who require disabled access have been set aside, however, do note that these will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. From what I can see on the map these are at Battersea Park, Albert Embankment, Victoria Embankment (near Westminster Bridge) and Butler Wharf.
Spectators who require disabled access will be allowed one companion per person. A map detailing the precise locations of these access areas is on their website. If you require further information please contact:
viewingareas@tdjp.co.ukParking
All roads that join the river will be closed for the duration of the day (see the map for times and coloured areas) and the public are encouraged to travel by public transport. However, resident permit holders carrying a utility bill or similar document, will be granted access through closed barrier points if it is safe to do so.
Please note that the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant is not organising designated parking for coaches or other methods of private transport.
Vehicles seeking drop-off points beside the river will not be allowed through closed barrier points and are advised to locate alternative drop-off points.
Public Transport
Owing to extensive road and bridge closures, you are encouraged to use public transport wherever possible. In order to plan your journey it is recommended that you consult Transport for London, Network Rail or your local service operator, to see what services are available on the day of the Pageant. Buses that are usually scheduled to cross bridges between Battersea Bridge and Tower Bridge will be diverted. For more information, please visit:
Toilets
A significant number of portable toilets will be provided along the Pageant route, which will supplement other publicly accessible conveniences. A map detailing the locations of these facilities have been published on their website.
Battersea Park (Diamond Jubilee Festival)
Tickets are available for
The Diamond Jubilee Festival at Battersea Park and can be purchased from Ticketmaster
http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/event with a charge of £5 per person to cover administration costs. Tickets for children aged 12 and under are free, but they will need to be accompanied by an adult.
Nearest Stations: Clapham Junction, Fulham Broadway and Victoria
For more information about Battersea Park, please visit the Festival’s Ticket & Info page.
Seating
There will be no provision of grandstand or reserved seating at the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant; elderly spectators are advised to bring portable seating devices if strictly necessary.
Click here for further information and the interactive map.
A very useful
overview map of the London Bridges via @TfLofficial
