Buckingham stitchers make a start on decorations for Queen's Platinum Jubilee

A group of ladies met at the Nimble Thimble in Buckingham's Well Street to sew knitted flowers on to a banner in celebration of The Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Volunteer knitters from the WI, U3A, Knit and Natter and other local groups had crafted more than 800 red, white and blue flowers in response to a request from Buckingham resident Lionel Weston.

All of the flowers are now being stitched onto a 10-metre banner spelling "God Save The Queen".

The banner is just one element of a plan by Lionel to decorate the area outside the Old Gaol with all things red, white and blue for the Jubilee period during the end of May and early June.

A similar message on the railings will declare "Platinum Jubilee", and two portraits of Her Majesty - one a present-day likeness and one depicting her as a young queen - painted by Royal Latin School pupils will overlook the area from the walls of local shops.

Three bicycles have been painted up for the occasion and will be festooned with floral decorations, sponsored by Buckingham Garden Centre, Preston Bissett Nurseries and Twigs.

"It should be quite impressive when it's done," said Lionel.

The decorations will go on display outside the Old Gaol on Sunday, May 22, protected by red, white and blue umbrellas, and be taken down on Monday, June 6.

On Saturday, June 4, everyone who has been involved with the creation of the display in any way is invited to gather outside the Old Gaol for a celebratory photograph.

Lionel said: "I have no idea of the extent of the number of people who have actually knitted flowers, so I can't say thank you personally.

"But it will be an opportunity to say thank you to quite a number of them if they can gather on that morning."

In another strand to his project, Lionel is also hoping to get together 70 Buckingham residents who were each born during a different year of The Queen's 70-year reign.

"It's one person per year in the 70 years of her reign, so a 70-year-old, a 69-year-old and so on," he said.

"I've got five or six already."

"And we will have a photograph taken from above, from a drone, in the shape of a 70."

He added: "I'm asking everybody who's helped, and the people with birthdays, to wear a smattering of red white and blue on them so that it looks in keeping with the theme."

Anyone who is interested in being included in the birthday group should email [email protected]