Dumfries and Galloway Platinum Jubilee celebrations set to begin

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Excitement is running high as Dumfries and Galloway prepares to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with an extended bank holiday weekend.The 96-year-old Queen is the first British monarch to achieve 70 years on the throne and the region’s residents, schools and businesses are rallying to host parties in streets, parks, gardens, homes, pubs, hotels and village halls to pay tribute to her dedication and service.Schools across the region, who will be off on Thursday and Friday, have been making bunting and holding parties in their classes during recent days and more are expected in the run up to the weekend.Commemorative tree planting has also been underway across the region as part of the Queen’s Green Canopy initiative.And libraries across the country are gearing up for the Big Jubilee Read, where 70 books by Commonwealth authors have been selected by a panel of BBC and The Reading Agency experts.A jubilee concert was held at the Crichton Memorial Church in Dumfries at the weekend hosted by Annan Town Band, with performances from Kirkcudbright Academy musicians.The celebrations are set to continue throughout the summer as many of the traditional galas and riding of the marches will contain a jubilee theme.On Thursday (June 2) the official UK celebrations will start with Trooping the Colour, the Queen’s official birthday parade, which ends with an RAF fly-past watched by members of the Royal Family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London.It will also be the day when 1,500 beacons will be lit across the UK and in the capital cities of Commonwealth countries.In Dumfries and Galloway, town criers have been appointed to read a proclamation outside town halls at 2pm on Thursday, followed by beacons being lit at