We spoke to organisers at a Platinum Jubilee street party in Watford about the value of community, the jubilee, and having fun.

The Platinum Jubilee celebration marks The Queen becoming the first British monarch to reign for 70 years. Over the bank holiday weekend thousands of streets across the country are marking the occasion by closing their roads to host street parties.

We attended the party on Church Road today to see how they are marking the occasion and bringing their community together in the good weather.

Read More: 

Siobhan Garibaldi organised the Church Road party. She said “It’s a great community, everybody has been celebrating and they’ve come along today, raising money for charity. It’s a fun day and we like to support everyone in the community.

“We have people who live on the street as well as the rest of the Nascot area and a lot of people involved in the church as well.”

Watford Observer:

Siobhan, 60, lives on Park Road and has two sons, partygoers say her name is always heard around the community as she is organising events to help bring people together.

She added: “Its one of those communities where people do talk often, they move in and don’t leave, people will just move to another house in the same community.”

The event featured music, games, plants, face paint, competitions and lots of food and drink.
Watford Observer: Siobhan Garibaldi, (The Queen), Anne BallardSiobhan Garibaldi, (The Queen), Anne Ballard

Another Organiser, Anne Ballard also lives in the Nascot Area and works with the local Rainbows group who meet at the church. Some of her group helped raise money and attended the event.

Anne said: “We’ve lived here for 30 years; we have never moved. It’s a real community. The church is the hub of the community. When we went out putting up the bunting and decorations, we had the ladders out and loads of people came out of their homes to speak to us!”

The fancy dress competition was judged by Masquerade Fancy Dress owners, husband and wife team Robin and Jean Harper.

Jean said: “We are hoping that everybody living in Watford will celebrate and make an effort for The Queen’s Jubilee so that she knows we care.”