Queen’s memorabilia goes on display in North Yorkshire ahead of Platinum Jubilee weekend

An impressive display of memorabilia which has been collected by self-confessed Royalists throughout the Queen’s reign has gone on show in North Yorkshire.

The County Hall in Northallerton is showcasing a street party scene on its historic staircase, with bunting and a large photograph of the Queen adorning the hallway.

Siblings Alan Andrew and Tina Surtees, along with their friends, loaned a large majority of the memorabilia, which includes a rare coach and horses ornament, decorated storage tin and china. There are also original flags from the 1953 coronation and a copy of a Winston Churchill speech following the death of King George VI.

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“This memorabilia means so much to us so we are grateful to the county council for putting it on show,” said Mr Andrew. “It’s amazing some of the pieces have survived the test of time as I remember playing with the storage tin as a child and the coach and horses came from a market stall many years ago.

“The Queen has been a constant in both our lives and as keen Royalists we look up to the Royal Family. We are really excited to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee along with the county council.”

North Yorkshire County Council chairman Coun Margaret Atkinson added: “We know how passionate our communities are to celebrate this momentous weekend which sees our Queen become the first British monarch to mark 70 years on the throne. Our aim is to bring communities together to create lasting memories for future generations.

“I would like to thank Alan and Tina for lending some of their much-loved possessions to showcase in County Hall. It’s been really popular with staff, councillors 
and visitors.”

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Here are just some of the events that are planned across the Harrogate district ...
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It is supporting the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative, which encourages people to Plant a Tree for the Jubilee, thereby providing a legacy for future generations to enjoy whilst helping to tackle climate change.

Individuals, schools, parishes, community groups, villages, towns, cities and businesses are being encouraged to plant trees through to the end of the Jubilee year.

Support is available to anyone who would like to take part, from help and advice about tree planting to tangible support such as over three million free saplings being made available to schools and community groups. For more information, visit: www.queensgreencanopy.org.

The county’s libraries are hosting tea parties where visitors are encouraged to share their stories, photographs and memorabilia of previous jubilees and Royal celebrations.

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The library service is also taking part in the Big Jubilee Read campaign by BBC Arts and The Reading Agency, celebrating great reads from authors across the Commonwealth. The 70 titles consist of 10 books from each decade of the Queen’s reign.

Find out what is happening in your local library by logging onto the interactive map on the Platinum Jubilee website at www.platinumjubilee.gov.uk/events