As you might have guessed from the plethora of Union Jack bunting decorating your local high street recently, there's a very long bank holiday weekend ahead to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. This is the first time in history that a British monarch has reigned for 70 years. Celebrations will include a lavish Palace Party performance (featuring the likes of Queen, Adam Lambert, George Ezra and Alicia Keys), numerous TV specials, the traditional Trooping the Color ceremony and national There are as many as 16,000 street parties in various places. There's plenty of fun to be had; but if flag waving isn't your style, the long weekend is just the perfect excuse to enjoy a few drinks.
There's good news for anyone planning on drinking shandy later this week - thanks to a special order passed by Home Secretary Priti Patel in April, England and Wales Pubs will be allowed to open for an extra two hours from Thursday (June 2) to Saturday (June 4). In other words, pubs will be able to stay open until 1am, rather than kicking punters out at 11pm. This is also the case in some areas of Scotland, but the final decision will be made by each local authority.
Extended opening hours aren't just good news for royal fans (and those who don't care about the monarchy and just want a break). It is also a much-needed boost for the hospitality industry, which has been hit hard by two years of restrictions. With millions of people planning to attend street parties, there will be plenty of thirsty revelers in need of a pick-me-up.
