Wednesday, 30 May 2012

[www.keralites.net] Union Jack Soars All Over Britain

 

Flying the flag: Britain's streets and homes decked with Jubilee bunting in spontaneous show of patriotism

From Britain's quaintest picture postcard villages and the busiest streets of central London to commuter towns and council estates, they are everywhere.

Row upon row of Union flags flap in the breeze along pretty cottages and churches across the country ahead of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee this weekend.

The entire nation seems to have gone red, white and blue, swept up by patriotic fever for the first celebration in what is sure to be a Great British summer.

Bunting has brought colour to village greens, vibrant city centres, seafronts, bridges and buildings.

From the grandest locations in the capital to offices and warehouses in the suburbs, long lines of flags have been put up to be enjoyed by workers and visitors alike.

Residents are also playing their part, turning their houses into proud symbols of Britain's adoration for the Queen.

In Albury, Surrey, one handsome red-brick cottage appeared to have a very special visitor. But on closer inspection it was just a cardboard cut-out of Her Majesty standing among a sea of flags.

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Is that you your Majesty? It looks like the Queen has popped in for a cuppa in one garden in the pretty village of Albury in Surrey but it's actually a cardboard cut-out standing among the ribbons of Union flag bunting

And in Saltburn-By-The-Sea, North Yorkshire, a mystery knitter known locally as the 'Yarn Bomber', had struck again, this time with the Diamond Jubilee as the subject.

Villagers in Cheddar, Somerset, are getting in the Jubilee spirit by attempting to set a new world record for the longest continuous bunting.

They hope to create a single string which will stretch up to 2.8 miles - 4,500m - through the village and up the gorge.

Work on it began in February and the finishing touches will be made on Friday.

The current world record of almost 3,428 metres was set in London on May 13 last year.

The bunting is being prepared and stitched in 50-metre sections and is predominantly being completed by Lynne Hebborne, who runs a craft shop in the village.

Pupils from Cheddar First School and Axbridge First School are individually decorating more than 1,000 white pendants for the bunting.

Cheddar Gorge and Caves are also providing 1,500m of bunting to help the record attempt.

Meanwhile, in central London rows of full-size Union flags hang high over Regent Street, delighting snap-happy tourists and sending a surge of pride into the heart of even the surliest Londoner.

And visitors who arrive in Britain at Heathrow Airport are being greeted by a giant Union flag the size of 15 double-decker buses.

Below MailOnline showcases a selection of Jubilee pictures from around the country that prove what a proud nation we really are!

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Oh, to be in England for the Jubilee! The residents of Great Budworth, Cheshire, are looking forward to a Great British weekend with a scarecrow competition judged by Viscount Ashbrook, maypole dancing and lavish lunch

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Rainbow Jubilee: Sarah Beet, 36, begins decorating the azalea beds with red white and blue bunting at Lea Gardens, Matlock, Derbyshire ahead of the garden's Jubilee cream tea parties this weekend

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Sunday best: A scarecrow stands proudly by his barrow full of cuttings and Union flags in Great Budworth ahead of the Jubilee festivities at the weekend

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Proud lines: The bunting in East Isley zig zags across the village and along the rows of pretty cottages to celebrate a Great British summer

Rule Britannia! The Union Jack bunting stretches past the church in Great Budworth, left, and, right, decorates a road sign in ancient market town East Isley

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Keep calm and carry on knitting: The Saltburn Yarn Bomber stikes again, this time with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee as the subject

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By the seaside: The Saltburn Yarn Bomber's work included these models of Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice, complete with red, white and blue Jubilee rosettes

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Red, white and a clear blue sky: A solitary Union flag hangs from the Clifton Suspension Bridge, one of Bristol's most famous landmarks


Waving from the balconies: In Bristol, a house in Clifton is adorned with bunting (left), while Union and St George flags hang from the windows of a city-centre office (right)

Looking good: A smartly-dressed woman stops to admire a floral crown installed in St James's Park in central London to mark the Diamond Jubilee

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Floral: The crown, which took five weeks to construct and weighs approximately five tonnes, has drawn visitors young and old

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Diamond geezers: The Pearly King of Westminster, David Hitchin, and the Pearly Queen of Hackney, Jackie Murphy kick-off Jubilee festivities in London's Covent Garden today

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Cloth soldiers: A London bus and classic black cab drive under row upon row of Union flags hanging over Regent Street in central London as the nation gears up for a right Royal celebration

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Bird's eye view: The flags run all the way down Regent Street as they did for the Royal Wedding last April

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On his way back to Buckingham Palace: It may look like a corgi has got behind the wheel but this is actually the Jubilee window display of a shop in Oxford Street, central London


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Flagging it up: Rows of Union flags, hanging in sets of three, dominate this view of Elizabeth Street, in the fashionable Chelsea area of London

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God save the Queen: The dome of St Paul's Cathedral provides a suitable backdrop for this row of flags on Unilever House in the City of London

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Getting ready: Workers build a stage encircling the Queen Victoria Memorial in front of Buckingham Palace in preparation for a Jubilee concert

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Long may they reign over us: Union flag bunting hangs above as people of all ages relax and chat by a fountain in London's Sloane Square


Proud displays: Staff at the Churchill Arms pub in London's Kensington Church Street, left, and the Sainsbury's supermarket depot in Greenford, West London, have put up lots of flags to mark the historic occasion

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Big welcome: Passengers touching down at Heathrow Airport are greeted by a Union flag the size of 15 double-decker buses on the runway

Tribute: RAF Tucano aircraft have been painted in red, white and blue (left) to mark the Jubilee, with one (right) even showing the letters E-R on its underside

...And finally

One man who is looking forward to it all being over is Joe Flannery from Accrington, Lancashire - but only so he can get to England's next big event: Euro 2012. Catering manager Mr Flannery, pledged to cover his house in St George's flags in a bid to win an all-expenses paid VIP trip to see England play Sweden on June 15. His plan worked and he was crowned the UK's most dedicated England fan by former England ace Gareth Southgate in a Carlsberg competition.

The 37-year-old thanked friends and neighbours for helping out, but said the main credit belonged to his girlfriend Mel Tregartha for letting him deck out the family home. 'I'm just really grateful to Mel for letting me do this and keep the flags up for 24 hours,' he said before adding: 'I will be getting them out for all the special occasions coming up over the summer.' Mel will be pleased...

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Forget the Jubilee, bring on the footy! Joe Flannery from Accrington, Lancashire, is looking forward to it all being over so he can get on with England's next big event: Euro 2012


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