PEOPLE across South Somerset united at the weekend at celebrate the Queen’s official birthday.

On Saturday, people from across the district celebrated Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th milestone with fetes, afternoon teas and other festivities.

Buckland St Mary Church of England Primary School started the village’s celebrations with a posh picnic last Friday. It was followed in the evening with a disco for the children.

On Saturday, the village continued the celebrations with a garden party in the grounds of the old vicarage. This fete then lasted into the evening, as Buckland House played host to a hog roast with music, dancing and a performance by young jazz group, the Tom Smith Quartet, from the Royal Academy of Music.

Haselbury Plucknett First School got together with Haselbury Pre-school on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Everyone played games on the school’s field then enjoyed a tea party in street party style. All the children received a commemorative coin from representatives from the parish council.

All Saints church in Isle Brewers celebrated the occasion with a “party fit for the Queen” on the Saturday.

From 12.30pm on, the village had a bring your own picnic, or food to cook on the barbecues already set up in the churchyard.

The villagers also gathered to write in a card, which is being sent to Buckingham Palace, and there was a best dressed King or Queen of the day and an opportunity to design and make a crown.

Each year, on the last weekend of June, the Church of the Good Shepherd, Furnham Road Chard holds its very popular traditional strawberry cream tea. This year, the annual event was brought forward to Saturday to celebrate Her Majesty’s birthday.

The event began with a short open air service in the church grounds with the Strawberry Tea following, running until 4.30pm.

Elsewhere in the area, Sunnymeade care home held an afternoon of activities to celebrate the official birthday, Donyatt Village Hall hosted a cream tea, and St Mary’s church in Chard held a special service on the Sunday followed by cake.