North - South Royal Wedding divide

[Indy]

Daily Mail

Northern party poopers snub wedding street celebrations

By Sean Poulter


Party time: The south is set to celebrate the Royal Wedding with more gusto than their northern neighbours

Party time: The south is set to celebrate the royal wedding with more gusto than their northern neighbours

A gulf has opened up between the South and North of England over whether to celebrate the royal wedding with a street party.

Figures detailing the thousands of celebrations planned for the event reveal many fewer families in the North will be toasting the couple with neighbours.

The statistics offer a telling insight into the divided loyalties, interests and politics of the nation.

Were the country to be divided on English Civil War lines, it’s almost as if there’s a Royalist south and a Roundhead north.

The details may alarm the Royal Family, for it appears they are seen as very ‘southern’ and ‘Home Counties’ – even out of touch with the North.

However, they could also provide useful market research for Kate Middleton’s parents, who live in Berkshire and run Party Pieces, a mail order company that sells party supplies and decorations.

According to the Local Government Association, there have been just four applications in Liverpool, 11 in Newcastle and 13 in Manchester.

Compare that to the small borough of Richmond, in South-West London, where there are 44, or Windsor and Maidenhead, where there are at least 16.


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Royalist Hertfordshire comes in with 132. The area’s county council has even organised a special Royal Wedding school lunch for primary school pupils to enjoy before the big day. This is more than the whole of Wales, where figures point to a total of 94.

A spokesman for pressure group Republic, which wants to replace the Queen with an elected president, said: ‘There is generally a north-south divide in people’s political leanings. I guess people who are left of centre tend to be less enthusiastic about the monarchy.
The north/south divide of applications for street parties for the Royal Wedding


It may also be that people closer to places like Windsor and Buckingham Palace are more enthusiastic about it.’ The LGA conducted its survey earlier this week and, while the figures will not include all the parties that are planned, they offer a clear picture of the trends. A spokesman said some councils in the North, such as Darlington, have had no formal applications despite efforts to encourage them.

The situation in Bolton is particularly telling. The town staged 427 street parties for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1997 and more than 100 when Charles and Diana married in 1981. Currently, just four applications for parties and street closures have been lodged.

Chris Gittins of Streets Alive, which supports community groups, said: ‘I can’t really believe there is any anti-royal feeling in the North.’

Mr Gittins said the pattern may have more to do with the weather. Generally, the South is warmer in April, making open air parties more attractive.

For the most alert of our readers, it may come as no surprise. Our Page 3 picture of Kate Middleton broodily inspecting baby clothes yesterday was an April Fool featuring lookalike Jodie Bredo, 22, from Essex.

[Indy]

I wonder how many street parties there will be in Scotland.

I imagine the more Orange the area the more chance of a street party.

Personally, I believe, I will somehow find the strength from deep within my inner core to resist the temptation to throw a spontaneous street party.

I'm sure it won't be easy but I'm sure I will prevail.

[tig]

there laws against quoting the daily mail on some forums ykno mate

hate mongering filth


ive absolutely no interest in any wedding either....great time to hit the hills too cause the telly will be full of it for days

[Indy]

A friend of mine and his wife are heading off to Amsterdam to avoid it all.

Ironically, when they're in Amsterdam it'll be Queen's day. Actual royalty queen that is and not some love parade (can't escape the buggers).

I can't stomach royalty myself but at least it's not the Brit royalty I suppose.

[Lachlan09]

Reminds me of the Queen's Jubilee and Charlie-Lugs and Shy-Di's (her of the sleekit sideways glance) wadding.

The Beeb were showing loads of footage of street parties Dahn Sarf in various parts of Olde Englande while as I recall it, similar wild celebrations in Scotland were entirely limited to the Conservative Ladies Association of Kelvinside, who had their best china and cucumber sannies laid out before you could say "Jim Pryor"