How to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee in New Zealand
Gibbston Valley resident Lisa White grew up walking to school via Windsor Castle and waving to the Queen, which was just “normal” if you grew up there, apparently.
White is a self-confessed fanatic of her majesty Queen Elizabeth II and will be celebrating the 70th jubilee just how a good English girl would, she says.
“I am going to hang the bunting off the silver birch like they do in the celebrations in the UK.
“The platinum jubilee colour is purple, but I’m going red, white and blue, I have got Union Jack napkins, paper chains, scones and cream, tea.”
White is just as much a Kiwi as she is English now, having moved to New Zealand in 1994, but she is proud of what the Queen has achieved in her 70 years at the throne.
“She is such an advocate and to take all the rubbish that goes on around her out of it, she is wonderful.
“I just love the queen, I like her work. It is very English to celebrate, and we don't really have that over here.
On Saturday, White will host up to 25 monarch fans at her Gibbston Valley home, complete with tea, scones and jam. A dress up here and there too.
White’s ‘relationship’ with the queen has been long-standing. In 1992, she rode one of the Queen’s favourite horse on the Windsor property because her friend worked at the royal stables.
“I’ve been to the Queen’s stables, it isn't that big of a deal, you just need to get invited in.
“I went to school in Windsor, and we used to walk to school and wave at the Queen as she went up and down The Long Walk in her car. It is normal to do that in England.”
White tries to get back to England as much as possible to visit family and last year attended the royal horse show.
“Last year at the royal Windsor horse show I got a close as she drove past me, she nearly ran me over.”
Because she is missing out on the Jubilee with her fellow English back home, she’s decided to celebrate large in the valley.
“There will be hundreds of street parties in the UK on the weekend, so this will be something smaller.”
How can you take part in jubilee celebrations?
- Start your celebrations off by decorating your home, school, or workplace with jubilee-themed decorations.
- Decorate your windows with Jubilee Bunting.
- Make your own Jubilee Wreath to hang up on your door.
- Create your own Union Jack Paper Chains to make your space feel part of the celebrations.
- Host your own street party. The Big Jubilee Lunch takes place on Sunday, June 5 (Monday, June 6 NZT).
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
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