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Forres is hosting a four-day event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

A number of community groups from across the town are working together to create a programme of events kicking off on Thursday, June 2.

The celebrations will include live music, a picnic in the park, music from the Forres & District Pipe Band, a performance of the official Queen’s Jubilee song and the return of the Toun Mercat.

Forres Community Council, Forres In Bloom and the Forres Community Activities Association are taking a lead on the organisation of the event.

Kathleen Robertson, chair of the Forres Community Council said: “We are very excited to be working as a community to stage a very special event spanning four days to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Once again, Forres is proving what a great community spirit it has, and we are well on our way to creating a fabulous occasion that the whole town will be able to enjoy.”

The event will kick off on the evening of Thursday, June 2 with the Tolbooth being lit up to stand as a ‘beacon,’ and will become part of a network of more than 1,500 beacons being lit throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, and UK overseas territories.

At 9.35pm, Pipers from the Forres & District Pipe Band will play ‘Diu Regnare’ – a unique tune especially written for the Platinum Jubilee. Imogen Symon, will play cornet piece ‘Majesty’ at 9.40pm which will officially announce the lighting of the Tolbooth at 9.45pm to the song ‘A Life Lived With Grace,’ by the Forres Youth Choir which is being performed at beacon lighting ceremonies up and down the country.

On Friday, the Toun Mercat will take place organised by the Forres Community Activities Association and on Sunday, people are being invited to a Picnic in the Park event at Grant Park where there will be a fancy-dress competition, tree planting, fun runs, live music and more.

Rachel Philp, a volunteer with the FCAA said: “It’s so great to be bringing events back to Forres and for such a great reason. The Toun Mercat last took place in 2018 and usually takes place every three years as part of Scottish Week but 2021 was cancelled due to Covid 19, so this Mercat is being specially pulled together to help the town celebrate the Jubilee. We are now taking applications from people who want to take stalls and get involved and all they need to do is get in touch.”

Kathleen added: “There really is something for everyone to enjoy, from special church services and bell ringing to the picnic in the park with lots of family activities. We want people to come along and enjoy themselves and if anyone has other ideas of how they can get involved in any part of what we are creating, we urge them to get in touch. This is an event by the community for the community.”

Businesses in Forres are being encouraged to get involved in the town’s Jubilee celebrations by dressing their properties or windows with a ‘royal’ theme.

The Forres Area Business Association is making the appeal to businesses as the town gears up to host a number events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Claire Doughty, a director with FABA said: “The whole community is working together to bring something really special to Forres and the key organisers of the events have asked us to rally the businesses and get them involved. From Thursday, June 2 through to June 5 there will several events taking place, predominantly in the town centre, so we hope that we can get the town looking festive.”

Claire added: “It’s great to see so much going on and we are pleased many businesses are staging their own events too. Forres is great at putting on a show and it looks like the Queen’s Jubilee will be celebrated in style.” 

To book a stall at the Toun Mercat follow this link:

FORRES SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY CONSULTATION APRIL 2022

The Forres Area Community Trust (FACT) & other local organisations have come together to ask for views to help identify & understand the priorities of the Community under four themes.

Themes: Local Environment, Transport/Traffic Access, Leisure & Tourism, Facilities & Services

Each theme will be used to format questions for you to respond to in the survey.  This information will be collated with other research gathered to help us develop a community plan for the Forres Academy catchment area.  You will not be asked for your name and address (only postcode) and your answers will not be separately identifiable. To access the survey click the button or use the link below.

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/WDZSBH7

Please note that the survey is open until 31 May 2022