RESIDENTS across East Lancashire are hosting a number of street parties and community events to celebrate the Queen’s diamond Jubilee.

Union Jacks will be flying and communities will join together to mark the monarch’s 60th year on the throne.

At Worsthorne Primary School, Burnley, the ‘Queen’ will be crowned at a special coronation ceremony on June 1.

Pupils from year two at the Brownside Road will be given the leading roles.

The Queen, played by seven-year-old Lauren Blundell, the Archbishop, played by Andrew Ramsden, six, the Duke of Edinburgh, Keir Greenwood, six, and the household cavalry will all be in attendance.

Year three pupils will be dressed in red robes and crowns and will represent the lords and ladies.

The rest of the school will be dressed in clothing appropriate to the decade they are studying during the Queen’s reign.

Headteacher Louise Young said: “We want to give the children a real sense of occasion. We will be singing the same songs that were sung at the coronation and we have a horse and carriage taking the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to St John’s church. The choir will be singing and everyone will join in the national anthem.

“A lot of the staff have very vivid memories of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee 10 years ago and we want to recreate those for the children.”

Parents and grandparents will be be coming along for the coronation, along with 15 local octogenarians.

And in Blackburn, the volunteer run Ivy Street Community Centre will be hosting a street party on June 3, between noon and 4pm. Doreen Mitchell, 65, of Mossley Street, hopes there will be around 500 people at the event, which will be held in Infirmary Street and at the centre.

She said: “We need to bring the community spirit back.

“Because people don’t all live in terraces any more we don’t seem to talk to our neighbours as much. The changes in housing doesn’t mean we have to lose the community feel.

“It’s important to get together and the atmosphere on the day will be brilliant.”

On the day, Doreen said there will be bunting, balloons, Union Jack decorated table, traditional games and modern ones too.