For some people, Salisbury was simply the place to be on Tuesday 1st May 2012. For others, it was the place to avoid like the plague! Judging from the thousands who lined the route & visited the Wiltshire Diamond Jubilee Event in the Cathedral Close, a lot of people took the former view. I did venture into Salisbury to join the celebrations & like many others I spoke to, had an enjoyable day out with a glimpse of Royalty thrown in. As an added bonus, after a very overcast & wet morning, the weather suddenly brightened into a gorgeously sunny afternoon.
I had intended to go into the Cathedral Close & see The Queen arrive there. But when I arrived at St Ann’s Gate at 11.33am, I found the Police had initiated a security lock-down to the general public from 11.30am. Police on the spot said St Ann’s Gate would only be reopened to the public after 2.30pm when The Queen had left; Wiltshire Council staff there said 1.30pm. In the event, I believe St Ann’s Gate was opened again shortly after 12pm, presumably once The Queen was safely inside The Rifle Museum. Given that this security lock-down had not been mentioned in the official publicity around the event, it caught a lot of people out. Many were extremely disappointed & unhappy when told (incorrectly as it turned out) that the gates would not be open again for hours, as they had been looking forward to being part of the celebrations inside The Close while The Queen was there. Hopefully, Wiltshire Council & Wiltshire Police will learn from this experience & improve advance communication, not just with the general public, but also with the information provided to their representatives on the front-line.
Like many others turned away from St Ann’s Gate, Plan B for seeing The Queen was joining the vast crowds already lining the streets. I was fortunate to get a reasonable view from the High Street & see the Royal Car go past. There was a great atmosphere among the people waiting there, with much patriotic flag waving & cheering. The same fun atmosphere & sense of occasion was among the crowds at the Wiltshire Diamond Jubilee event inside the Cathedral Close. In the afternoon I saw the Duke of Edinburgh touring some of the jousting tents (he looked delighted to get a cheer from everyone watching) & the Queen in the distance touring tents on other side. I met some lovely people, including one woman who remembered being among the crowds lining the route in London for The Queen’s Coronation. Her Girl Guide group had travelled to London & camped overnight so they could see The Queen; so she was absolutely delighted to see her again 60 years later on her Diamond Jubilee. Although I couldn’t get round to see the Queen in the Event Arena (Police lock-down on crowd movement again), I heard the band & the official plaque unveiling ceremony, then saw the Royal Party leaving from a distance.
An amazing amount of work & effort had gone into all the displays inside the medieval jousting tents by the various Wiltshire Community Areas, with a great variety of local organisations, groups, Town & Parish Councils also involved. It was a lovely way of showcasing the communities & history in the different areas around Wiltshire. There was a very positive response from people I spoke to or conversations I overheard, with people recommending particular tents for good entertainment, especially interesting exhibits or free food! There was also much sympathy for the eight or so Community Area tents that the Queen & Prince Philip would be touring, as they were cordoned off & could not open to the public until after the Royal 
viewing around 1.50pm (security again!). Our South West Wiltshire Community Area tent looked really good, with displays from around the area. Plus outside there was a medieval storyteller & a mother & baby donkey from Farmer Giles. I haven’t heard what’s happening to the displays from the various tents, but it would be lovely if they were being shown again round the communities so everyone has the opportunity to appreciate them.
I’m in the process of uploading many of my photos onto Flickr (or click via the link on sidepanel), so keep checking back over the next few days. If you weren’t there, you’ll feel as though you were! There are also some good video clips which have been posted on YouTube, including a nice two minute montage from the day, below:
There are lots more events planned locally to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which are coming later in May & early June across the Wilton Community Area for everyone to enjoy. By Rachael (opinions expressed are my own).
WilCAP - Wilton Community Area Partnership 