York has failed to succumb to royal wedding fever.
Only three street parties are planned to mark the royal wedding this Saturday, as Prince Harry gets hitched to Meghan Markle.
City of York Council has had just three applications to close roads for community celebrations this weekend, considerably fewer than the 16 roads closed for parties when Prince William married Kate Middleton on an extra bank holiday in April 2011.
Telford Terrace, off Albemarle Road, is one of the streets to be staging a celebration this Saturday and resident Kay Dower said she and her neighbours liked the excuse to get together for a barbecue and a celebration together.
“We did the same in 2013 for the Jubilee, and in 2011 for William and Kate,” she added.
Only two other streets in York – Galtres Avenue off Stockton Lane and Greencliffe Drive near Clifton Green – have official road closure for the royal wedding.
Mayor’s good wishes
Lord Mayor of York Cllr Barbara Boyce said she had not heard about many community parties at the weekend, but said people may be celebrating according to “their own personal preferences” – although she has been invited to a different event at a York gallery and will be attending “with great pleasure.”
“If people are celebrating in their communities I hope they have a great time together,” Cllr Boyce added.
In the city centre, the Coppergate centre is decked out in patriotic Union Flag umbrellas to mark the occasion.
Different story in Taddy
The Rooke family plan to watch the royal wedding in their home that they have decorated for the special occasion.
The décor includes life sized cut outs of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Queen, alongside red, white and blue bunting and union flags.
On Saturday, Clifton and St Luke’s churches are hosting a Community Celebration at Vale of York Academy, with a big screen showing the wedding, bouncy castles, BBQ, climbing wall, face painting, live music, bake-off competition, five-a-side competition and stalls.
The Archbishop of York will visit another community celebration at Heworth Vicarage on Melrosegate at 1.30pm – where a “Match of the Day” party combines Royal wedding and FA Cup celebrations.