Our Diamond Jubilee Celebration yesterday (Sunday 3 June) was a resounding success, as the photos below illustrate. Over 200 people – local residents and members of the Abbey Congregation – came together for a ‘bring and share’ Big Lunch in the North Churchyard.
We were incredibly lucky with the weather. Whereas rain probably curtailed many similar street and garden parties around the country, we had only the briefest of showers before the sun came out. Louise Newman and Neil Sharman laid on activities for children and teenagers outside, whilst Simon Grant, Diane Williams and Romsey Abbey Youth Orchestra played a range of music indoors.
Aftewards, picnickers were able to watch a cinema-style screening of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant in the Nave, kindly laid on by the video team. We could see that the weather in London was much more overcast, underlining our good fortune.
Afternoon tea was laid on in the Church Rooms, festively decorated for the occasion. It was quite a spread.
Returning to the nave, the afternoon concluded the judging of Jubilee crowns and patriotic songs, enthusiastically led and conducted by the Vicar: a suitably jolly, flag-waving finale.
We are very grateful to the committee who worked so hard to make this event a success.
[Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge.]
 Tim Sledge welcomes picnickers in the North Churchyard |
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 Watching the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on the big screen |
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 Tim Sledge introducing the patriotic songs |
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