Spectacular Shropshire Diamond Jubilee Pageant is a ‘sell-out’
More than 35,000 people have requested tickets for an event to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, with registrations now closed to the public.
Delighted organisers say the level of demand for the event at RAF Cosford on 12 July 2012 has been huge since it was announced The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh would be attending as part of their Diamond Jubilee Tour.
With 35,000 people now registered for tickets, organisers have declared the event at capacity.
The centrepiece of the event will be a pageant featuring 5,000 schoolpupils on a variety of colourful floats and displays representing 60 glorious years of The Queen’s reign.
The day is being organised by the Lord-Lieutenant, Her Majesty’s representative in Shropshire, Mr Algernon Heber-Percy, aided by a committee from Shropshire Council, Telford and Wrekin Council, RAF Cosford, the RAF Museum and the police.
Mr Heber-Percy said:
“We always hoped the public would come out and support this event but we have been absolutely delighted at just how many people have registered for tickets. It promises to be a truly memorable occasion and is a very special opportunity for many to see The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh in Shropshire in this Jubilee year.
“We appreciate some people may be disappointed if they have not yet registered for tickets, but we have to put a limit on numbers to make sure the day is enjoyable and safe for everyone who attends.
“There’s a real team effort going into this, and by using the experience of senior people who have organised big events such as the Cosford Air Show, we decided that 35,000 people was the maximum number to ensure that people can get on and off the site safely and have a really enjoyable day.”
Entertainment will run from 10am to 5pm, featuring demonstrations from Shropshire’s industrial, commercial and agricultural expertise in one of RAF Cosford’s display hangars, and musicians and singers will be performing on an outdoor stage throughout the day.
The event will also highlight numerous voluntary and charitable organisations, and trade stands will be selling the best food and drink that Shropshire has to offer.
The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh will be hosted at a reception at the RAF Museum, which will be closed to the public during the day, before being driven through the crowds to watch the spectacular pageant.
More information on the event can be found at the website at www.shropshirejubilee.co.uk
Those who have registered for tickets can expect to receive their tickets via email about two to three weeks before the event.
Further notes
Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about the event, which may be helpful:
Can’t I just turn up on the day, as it’s a free event?
Entrance is by ticket only, so please don’t turn up without a ticket as it could cause excessive traffic and delays for people entering the site.
I have a family member who is in the pageant and thought I would automatically be sent a ticket – why wasn’t I told I had to register?
Schools have been informing parents and carers of children involved in the pageant that they needed to register for tickets, and we have tried to ensure that all media coverage had made it clear that people needed to register.
We don’t want anyone to miss out, but we have to limit numbers to avoid overcrowding and excessive congestion accessing the site.
Will there be any future opportunities to get tickets?
At this stage, no, but we will try to make more tickets available if the opportunity arises, although there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so.
Surely having 35,000 people travelling to RAF Cosford on a weekday is going to cause major traffic disruption – how are you going to mitigate that?
A traffic plan is being worked on, based on the established systems used for the Cosford Air Show which often attracts more than 35,000 people, so we are confident that everyone will be able to access the site safely. However, some traffic disruption will be unavoidable so we do ask for drivers to be patient and find alternative routes on that morning if possible.
Will I definitely be able to see The Queen?
The Queen will drive through the site from a reception in the RAF Museum, and will then watch the pageant from a secure area as is traditional at these kinds of events. The intention is that everyone will be able to see The Queen at some stage, but unfortunately there is no guarantee that everyone will necessarily get a good view. However, the pageant will be filmed and shown on big video screens, so you should get a good viewing experience of the event wherever you are on the site.
Will I be able to visit the RAF Museum during the day?
No, the RAF Museum – including the National Cold War Exhibition – will be closed to the public during the day.
