THERE were celebrations across the borough over the weekend as the nation marked the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Festooned in red, white and blue, schools, residents, clubs and even Dudley Zoo’s animals joined the party.

At Queen Victoria Primary School in Sedgley, all 636 pupils took part in a street party and turned back the clock to 1953 as they watched the Queen’s coronation on a projector screen in the playground.

To kick off their special celebrations the school choir sang the national anthem, before the party continued with 1950s background music and popular games from the same era.

Headteacher Wendy Briscoe said:“Queen Victoria is no stranger to the celebrating of diamond jubilees as this is the school’s second diamond jubilee. The last time we had a diamond jubilee was Queen Victoria’s in 1897. At that time the school was a boy’s school.”

Crafty knitters at Brierley Hill Methodist Church decked out the church hall with around 100 feet of knitted homemade bunting.

The unusual line of flags were created in two afternoon sessions by around 30 members.

Craft group leader, Frances Bloore, said: “It looks quite attractive, better than the stuff in the shops and we had a good laugh making it.”

Meanwhile the celebrations of 25 street parties were boosted with party packs donated by Dudley Council.

All the streets were sent bunting, flags, balloons and inflatable decorations.

Mayor Melvyn Mottram and deputy cllr Alan Finch also joined in the celebrations at five of the events.

Cllr Mottram, who also sent thank you letters to all the parties, said: “It was great to see people coming together to organise street parties to celebrate the jubilee and have a fun day for the whole family.

“It shows that community spirit is alive and kicking in the Dudley borough and I hope the packs we sent them helped to make it a colourful day for everyone involved.”

The Queen will also be receiving a special parcel from children from Treetops Nursery at Milking Bank.

The youngsters have spent the last few weeks painting pictures of the monarch which staff sent off to Buckingham Palace.

A few of the children also went to London to join in the celebrations in the capital.

Nursery nurse, Stephanie Purville, said: “The children have really enjoyed learning about the Queen and where she lives.”

Even Dudley Zoo’s animals have got into the Jubilee spirit.

The zoo’s ring-tailed lemurs, squirrel monkeys and black and-white ruffed lemurs usually wear different coloured tags around their necks, so they can be easily identified and their behaviour can be observed by keepers.

However not to be outdone by the weekend’s events, the ringtailed lemurs are showcasing patriotic red, white and blue identification tags.