Stonehouse Town Council is organising an open-air picnic and barn dance to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III.

Everyone in the town is invited to bring a picnic and join in the fun from 12pm to 4pm in Laburnum Park on Sunday, May 7.

In case of bad weather on the day, the event will be held in Stonehouse Community Centre.

Stonehouse in Bloom will have refreshments, cakes and sandwiches available in Stonehouse Community Centre and Stonehouse History Group will have a stall with historical photographs including photos of Queen Elizabeth II 1953 coronation celebrations.

Local band ‘The Bees Knees’ will be encouraging picknickers onto their feet to join in the barn dance and there will also be a free Circus Skills workshop for children and hook a duck with a small prize. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring along a football, cricket set or other activity.

Stonehouse Town Council is giving every child at school in Stonehouse, up to and including Year 6, a coronation mug to mark the occasion.

These mugs will contain two raffle tickets.

Children are asked to bring both tickets along to the picnic for inclusion in the free raffle which will be drawn on the day.

Prizes are 10 x £5 book tokens from the Cotswold Canal Trust Book Shop.

“Bring a picnic and come and have great time with our fantastic Stonehouse community to mark this historic event,” says Cllr Val Randell

“We hope lots of people will join us for what promises to be a fun afternoon to celebrate the coronation.”

For more information contact Cllr Valerie Randell on 07964852707 or councillorrandell@stonehousetowncouncil.gov.uk

The first rehearsal for the King’s Coronation took place as military paraded through the quiet streets of central London in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The rehearsal was due to start at 10pm on Monday but was delayed, before hundreds of military personnel followed the route on horseback preparing for the coronation on May 6.

Charles and the Queen Consort will make their way back from Westminster Abbey via Parliament Square, along Whitehall, around Trafalgar Square, through Admiralty Arch and down The Mall back to Buckingham Palace.