SCORES of people in Renfrewshire enjoyed an old-fashioned knees-up at the weekend to celebrate both the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the end of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.
Among those who were celebrating the Platinum Jubilee were residents in Gilmartin Road, Linwood, who held a marquee party on Friday evening.
Yvonne McPhee, organiser of the event, described the outdoor celebration as “brilliant”.
She told The Gazette: “We didn’t know a few of the neighbours, so it was quite nice to actually meet them for the first time.
“About 35 people turned out. Everybody brought food and drink and we made up party bags for the kids.
“We’re a bit patriotic here, as we love the Queen and the Royal family.”
As well as having a barbecue, there was lots of Jubilee-themed treats to enjoy, such as cupcakes, biscuits and strawberries in the colours of the Union flag.
Yvonne said: “I got a lot of texts afterwards from the neighbours, both old and young, saying how brilliant the party had been.
“We’re now organising another get-together for August, which I think will be a Hawaiian-themed night.”
Elsewhere, residents in Blythswood Avenue, in Renfrew, held a “post-Covid” street party on Saturday afternoon.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, talented schoolgirls Holly McGuire and Sofia Mackay delighted neighbours by doing the Highland Fling in the street.
The twinkle-toed friends were able to entertain local residents once again on Saturday with a number of dance routines.
Sofia’s proud mum, Gill Mackay, said: “The street party was a real team effort and I think around 80 people took part.
“We always said once Covid was over, we would have a big celebration.
“It was really nice to do it for the older people on the street, as some of them live alone and it just gave everyone something to look forward to.”
During the event, there was home baking on offer, as well as treats including sausage rolls, sandwiches and pizza.
As well as a bouncy castle, there was also a variety of fun games to keep kids entertained.
Gill added: “My husband is a joiner, so he had made a couple of games like cornhole and splat the rat.
“It felt like everyone was coming together and the street looked really nice on the day.”
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