AFTER months of eager anticipation the RBL Kyrenia Branch are now ready to begin the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations in earnest.
The branch committee has been busy behind the scenes working to ensure a full programme of fun and entertainment is available for all members of the public on Saturday, June 2, the date of the Queen Elizabeth ΙΙ’s original coronation in 1953.
The whole of the UK are also getting ready to commemorate 60 years of her reign over the same weekend and the Royal British Legion is delighted to be honoring their patron.
The Queen herself will be attending the Epsom Derby, ranked as the greatest flat race in the world dating back to 1780, on this particular day, the first of a five day celebration over an extended bank holiday weekend in the UK.
Commencing at 12 noon on the beachfront of the Celebrity Hotel in Lapta there will be a free to enter Jubilee Festival which will be formally opened by a VIP at 1pm.
This will be followed by a Jubilee Concert later that evening at the same venue when four live acts will each take their turn on stage to rock the night away. There will be a small cover charge for this event with tickets on sale at the Lambousa Market each Saturday morning.
Some of the games and amenities available on the afternoon for children and grownups alike to test their skills will include; bottle tombola, skittles, a bouncy castle, darts, tin can alley, coconut shy, wiggly wire, treasure island, hook a duck, pick an egg, face painting, play your cards right and splat the rat.
Meanwhile there will be fun and games all afternoon on the actual beach including; quoits, a dig for treasure, a football shootout, donkey rides and a sand castle competition to remind you of home, and on the water there will be swimming races and inflatable races for all to enjoy.
The charge for all the stalls and games will be 2TL with the exception of the raffle and bottle tombola (5TL per strip of tickets) darts, face painting & play your cards right which will also charge 5TL.
The proceeds from the event will all go towards the RBL charity funds in order to assist injured serving and retired servicemen and women including veterans of the Cyprus Regiment here in the TRNC.
DJ Werner and his Steam Machine disco will provide the music throughout the afternoon and there will also be a smattering of community singing, including the National Anthem, after the official opening where everyone attending will be invited to join in. The standard of the RBL Kyrenia Branch will also be marched on parade.
The Phoenix Line Dancers will also be performing throughout the afternoon and a flotilla of supporters in their boats will be anchored offshore to lend their support to the occasion.
Everyone is encouraged to bring flags, bunting etc to make this a memorable occasion of which the expat community can be proud of.
Food and beverages will be available throughout the afternoon until 5.30pm when the Jubilee Festival will close in order to get ready for the evening’s entertainment. There will be a prize giving ceremony prior to the closure with medals or prizes in every category.
First on stage for the Jubilee Concert, which commences with the doors opening at 7.30pm, will be Al August Jnr who will take the stage at 8pm. The Tuxedo Junction duo will perform about 45 minutes later then a south Cyprus based singer Simon Barter will take to the stage with his Ratpack style of music.
Ozankoy based group Pearl finish the evening’s line up before the evening closes with the National Anthem at midnight.
The cost for the Jubilee Concert is 15TL to RBL members in advance or 20TL to non-members, or 25TL on the door. Reservations can be made at the box office at the Lambousa market for the next two Saturday mornings.