PLANS are well underway in Chard and Ilminster to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday.

This weekend will see the next stage in Chard’s celebrations, with the Three Counties swing band performing at 7.30pm on Friday at the Guildhall.

The town has previously lit its beacon on April 21 to say happy birthday to Her Majesty, but the performance on Friday marks the beginning of a series of celebratory events.

The evening event will be 1940s themed with a ploughman’s supper followed by a festive dance. Tickets for the event are available for £7.50.

On Saturday, May 14, there will be four ‘have a go’ workshops in the Guildhall during the morning. Workshops include creating mini wirework creatures with artist Fiona Campbell, a willow sculpture masterclass with Barbara Clift, and stop animation with artist Richard Tomlinson. These will be held in the auditorium between 9am and 12pm.

Then, in the afternoon, the council will be holding another themed event, a Right Royal Tea, between 3pm and 4.30pm. Tickets will cost £2.50 and the event is open to everybody.

On July 23, the council will have a similar street craft and vintage market along Holyrood Street and in the Guildhall with street entertainers.

This will be part of the Summer Festival, which is run by the Chard town team.

The market will trade from 9am until 2pm and the council is asking craft people to contact the Guildhall to book a place in the market. Pitch fees will be 10 per cent of the takings on the day but no more than £10.

Plans have also started being put in place for Ilminster’s own celebrations. On June 12, from 11am until 3pm, there will be a street party held outside Tesco.

The town’s Tesco’s community champion Helena Jones is organising the day’s festivities along with Cllr Sophie Storey and Ilminster Town Council.

She said: “There will be afternoon tea with sandwiches and more. Money raised will be donated to Save the Children and Ilminster Memory Trust.

“The Ilminster Majorettes will be there and the children’s carnival will be too. There will be a kids stall, a tombola and a bouncy castle. It will be an old fashioned street party.

“Girl guides are making all the bunting for us. We are keeping it all local to Ilminster.”

Later in the year, Ilminster Tesco will be fundraising with participants in the Race For Life.

They will also be encouraging every local business to become dementia friendly.