The Diamond Jubilee weekend is nearly upon us and Norfolk is ready to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 60-year reign in style.

The County Council has approved 92 road closures for Jubilee celebrations over the four-day weekend, with communities in Great Snoring in the north of the county to Garboldisham in the south and Heacham on The Wash to Gorleston on the east coast among those holding street parties.

Many events organised across Norfolk for the Jubilee received between £75 and £300 of funding from the County Council’s ‘Norfolk’s Year of Celebrations 2012 Fund’, set up to ensure communities across the county could come together to celebrate during a special year for the UK.

220 community groups received funding to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee, with events including street and tea parties, fun days, fêtes, concerts and picnics set to take place as a result. Events and activities marking the Olympics, Paralympics and the Olympic torch’s visit to Norfolk on 4 and 5 July will also be supported through the 2012 fund.

Norfolk County Council is organising other commemorative activities over the Jubilee weekend. People visiting Norwich city centre between 9 and 11pm from Friday (1 June) to Tuesday (5 June) will be able to see the iconic Norwich Castle bathed in patriotic red, white and blue illuminations.

Ian Mackie, Deputy Leader of Norfolk County Council and overseeing the council’s Jubilee activities, said: “I am so pleased that communities across Norfolk are coming together, large or small, to celebrate this wonderful reason to celebrate and that we have been able to support them in this. The number of Jubilee events being held demonstrates not only our county’s close affection for the Queen but also the strong sense of community spirit in Norfolk – something which we have been very keen to enhance, especially in the current economic climate.

“The Diamond Jubilee is a very special event for our country and one that is unlikely to be repeated in any of our lifetimes. Because of the enthusiasm and efforts of people in all parts of our county, everyone in Norfolk will have the opportunity to get involved and feel part of the occasion, and hopefully part of their community. I am looking forward to a fantastic weekend of celebrations that will be a fitting start to an exceptional summer of inspiration and enjoyment.”

Norfolk’s libraries and museums will also hold special events and activities over the weekend in honour of the Diamond Jubilee. Many libraries will be decorated with bunting and have special commemorative displays. All Norfolk County Council libraries will be closed on Monday and Tuesday for the public holidays.

On Sunday Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse near Dereham will hold a History Fair designed to celebrate the decade in which HM The Queen ascended to the throne, the 1950s. Visitors will be able to find out what Norfolk was like during the fifties, including hearing the stories of some of the people who lived on the site at that time when the original workhouse building was used as a residential home for older people.

As well as re-enactments, archive film footage and classic vehicles from the era to enjoy, children will be able to experience what being in a 1950s school lesson was like and adults will be able to get a makeover with fifties fashion available to try on and make-up masterclasses. Normal admission prices to the site apply.

Babies born in Norfolk during the four days of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations will be presented with a limited edition specially commissioned commemorative goblet in celebration of The Queen’s 60-year reign. Commissioned by the County Council and produced by Norfolk potters ‘Made in Cley’, parents of babies born between Saturday, 2 and Tuesday, 5 June will be presented with the boxed commemorative goblet when they attend one of Norfolk’s nine registration offices to register their new arrival.

To coincide with the Jubilee, the library service is celebrating children’s books over the last 60 years and asking people to vote for their favourites from a selection of 24 chosen by library staff. People can vote online by clicking on the link from the libraries page of the County Council website at www.norfolk.gov.uk/libraries, and visitors to the Royal Norfolk Show at the end of June will be able to vote in person in the County Council tent.

For more information about the Diamond Jubilee in the King’s Lynn area, including celebratory events that are being held throughout the weekend, visit our Diamond Jubilee Weekend Events page.

Below is a list of Norfolk roads which will be closed – or closed in part – to traffic at some point between Saturday and Tuesday for Jubilee celebrations.

• Church Road, Little Ellingham
• Nethergate Street, Harpley
• Suffield Road, Gorleston
• Windsor Road, Nelson Street, New Road and Denmark Road, King’s Lynn
• Hall Road, Hoe
• The Street, Great Snoring
• Sandcroft Way, Wortwell
• High Street, St Edmunds Terrace and Hill Street, Hunstanton
• The Green (Avondale Road), South Creake
• St Catherines Way, Burnt Lane, Springfield Road and Middleton Gardens, Gorleston
• Church Street, Northrepps
• Dereham Road, Watton
• The Street, Gooderstone
• The Street, Great Hockham
• The Street, Heydon
• Market Place and Red Lion Street, Aylsham
• The Green and Stow Road, Caston
• Mill Lane, Wreningham
• St Andrews Lane, Congham
• Market Place, New Buckenham
• Swirles Place and St Lukes Terrace, Great Yarmouth
• High Street, Station Road, Collins Lane, Staithe Road, Lodge Road, College Drive, Heacham (nb. rolling road closures on all these roads on Sunday for the Heacham Carnival parade; High Street closed for a Jubilee street party between 12 noon and 7pm on Monday)
• Church Road, Garboldisham
• Church Street, Southrepps
• Moorfield Road, Mattishall
• High Street, Blakeney
• High Street, Station Approach, St Peters Street, Church Street, Station Road, High Street, Gun Street and Lifeboat Plain (for Jubilee cavalcade day on Monday), Seaview Crescent and Morris Street, Sheringham
• School Road, Frettenham
• The Street, Honingham
• Eastgate Street, North Elmham
• Compit Hills, Cromer
• Trimming Walk, Taverham
• Church Road, Beetley
• Mere Road, Stow Bedon
• The Street, Brundall
• Magnolia Close, Horsford
• Market Place, Dereham
• The Common, Mulbarton
• The Street, Brockdish
• Parkers Close and The Street, Catfield
• The Street, Rockland All Saints
• The Green, Aldborough
• The Street, Fersfield
• Fairland Street, Market Street, Market Place and Bridewell Street, Wymondham
• Coronation Grove, Swaffham
• Abbey Road, Great Massingham
• South Street, Hockwold cum Wilton
• The Green, Edgefield
• Church Street, Great Ellingham
• West Church Street and East Church Street, Kenninghall
• Langley Road, Chedgrave
• Lynn Road and Wretton Road, Stoke Ferry
• Tottington Road, Thompson
• Mill Road, Marlingford
• Thorpe Close, Hillcrest Road, Hillside Avenue and Thunder Lane, Thorpe St Andrew
• Church Street, Litcham
• Ranworth Drive and Thurne Way, Ormesby St Margaret
• The Street, Starston
• Arminghall Lane, Bixley
• Market Place, North Walsham
• High Street, Ludham
• Church Close, Banningham
• Milford Bridge Road, Castle Street, Rampart Way and Market Place, Thetford
• Rectory Road, Suffield
• Church Lane, South Wootton
• The Street, Bawdeswell
• Mill Street, Necton
• Colby Corner, Colby
• The Green, Shouldham
• Hall Lane and Church Road, Tharston
• The Quay, Wells-next-the-Sea
• St Marys Close, Hemsby
• Swan Lane, Manor Road and Francis Road, Long Stratton
• Priory Road, Castle Acre
• Front Street, Trunch

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