Jubilee
From Dave R
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Whilst it is the case that we may have suffered from a serious overload of jubilee celebrations via the TV this weekend, I for one was appreciative of the extra day to spend time with family and friends.
I also felt very proud to be British, given that the whole shebang went without noticeable problems.
The police/security were fairly low key, everyone who chose to attend the celebrations looked to be having fun, and most importantly no one seemed to be being forced to wave to the Queen.
Thank God for a democratic society.
But . . . I also felt a twinge of regret that Hebden Bridge chose to largely ignore the celebrations. This reiterated my view that there really should have been a public consultation on whether we 'celebrated ' or acknowledged the event or not.
It is certainly an occasion I wont see again. However, for future reference, I would hope that our new councillors (and old) may be more willing to stand up and be the voice of those who elected them rather than letting the loudest shouters get their own way, often based on their political allegiances rather than community.
I will await the inevitable forum responsive outcry of cost/ parasites/ recession/ politics and the like with baited breath but meanwhile God save the Queen.
From Anne H
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
I'm not a monarchist and I'm not particularly nationalistic, but I do enjoy living in this country and this part of the country in particular. I think it's nice to celebrate what's good about Britain occasionally and the Jubilee was one of those occasions. In Old Town we had 3 days of traditional British pasttimes - a parade, a fete, maypole dancing, fell racing, music and cream teas. I know it's a cliche but it did bring the community together and we got a chance to get together with neighbours in a way that we rarely do these days when everyone is busy and travels door to door by car. I'm sure there were other villages and perhaps some streets around Hebden that also had great parties, and I believe an historic event at Gibson Mill.
But there was nothing apparent to anyone visiting or travelling through the centre of town and in my opinion it did give the impression that the whole town was anti-jubilee. Todmorden on the other hand held a briliant event on the market with food, stalls and entertainment and of course the Pollination Parade (more Queen Bee than Queen Elizabeth!) but the two themes of bees and Jubilee combined really well to make sure Tod folk got together and felt proud about where they live. I think it's a bit of a shame Hebden Bridge didn't do that on this occasion.
From Dave M
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
If you felt strongly about celebrating this event then there was nothing to stop you from getting together with others wishing to do so and laying on a celebration. Others might have joined with you to celebrate the once in a lifetime occasion.
From Dave R
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Oh dear that old adage 'Big Society' or get off your butt and do it yourself.
As Anne has reiterated, many did get together and do something. My point was that I felt there should have/could have been some leadership from our Town Council (as was the case in other areas, noticeably Todmorden), to mark this most definitely once in my lifetime occasion. Or, yes to organise a central event for the wider community of Hebden Bridge.
We had visitors over the holiday period. My daughter and her small children but as there were no planned events in our town centre, we took them to Todmorden for the Pollination Parade and event.
Yes, we could have taken them to an excellent music event at the Trades, but they wanted to wave union flags and have their faces painted to celebrate the Jubilee, which wasn't an option anywhere in central Hebden Bridge.
From Jonathan Timbers
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
I think there was quite a lot going on in and around town relating to the Jubillee. My daughter joined in the celebrations at Hebden Royd school and my mother enjoyed a jubilee dinner at the Methodist Hall.
Some of the shops on Market Street also had very visible displays - not least the soap shop!!!
My favourite moment of her reign was the speech she gave in the Republic of Ireland, sharing a table with Nobel prize winning poet, Seamus Heaney, when she talked with restraint and authority as a victim of the troubles, didn't seek to excuse England's lamentable record in Ireland under her predecessors and held out a hand of friendship to the people of the Republic, which was largely accepted.
I thought it was the best speech by a British monarch since Elizabeth I at Tilbury.
From Jenny B
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Is it a pre-requisite of living here to be, or pretend to be, anti-royalty?
My child had a jubilee party at school too, but that was the only formal event that she attended. There was, as others have said, nothing going on in Hebden itself for families who wanted to show their support for the Queen's 60 years of rule. We did try to organise a street party and leafletted the whole street, no reply and no offers of help from my neighbours.
So we had a few shop window displays and a bit of bunting ( nd yes well done Yorkshire Soap) which in my view simply served to highlight the lack of any effort from our town council.
Proud to be British - yes. Proud to be a Hebdener - to be seen by others as anti-royal, just as we were during the royal wedding - No.
From H Gregg
Thursday, 7 June 2012
Talk of being 'proud' always makes be a bit nervous. Often the precursor to something more sinister. Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins? Don't permit your 'self' to be influenced by the current memes! Come the revolution you might be first up against the . . .
From Andy M
Friday, 8 June 2012
There's no reason why one should have to, or be seen to, celebrate royalty. It's not a crime to opt out (Maybe once but we've moved on!)
I don't wish the old girl ill but have no wish to celebrate royalty or any of it's trappings. But neither do i mind if people want to . . . surely that's more symptomatic of democracy than celebrating inherited privilege?
We had a small party on our street but I chose to miss it by playing cricket and drinking some beer - which seemed fairly British to me!
From Charles Gate
Sunday, 10 June 2012
A town with a whole extended weekend free from the Jubilee. If only I had known. It would have stopped me burying my head under a pillow and screaming for 5 days.