Tower Hamlets community groups street party on Tower Wharf outside the Tower of London (Photo Nick Wilkinson)

Right Royal knees-up for East Enders at The Tower with view of Pageant

Mike Brooke Monday, June 4, 2012
2:35 AM

A right royal street party knees-up was staged for East Enders at the Tower of London this-afternoon.

Tower Hamlets community groups street party on Tower Wharf outside the Tower of London (Photo Nick Wilkinson)

The Royal palace laid on food and entertainment for 400 members from Tower Hamlets community groups on the riverfront with an unrivalled view of the Queen’s flotilla as it passed by heading under Tower Bridge.

They tucked into a Big Jubilee Lunch with live entertainment before the Royal Pageant arrived.

The rain seemed to hold off just long enough to make it a memorable day for youngsters from Tower Hamlets Army, Air and Police Cadet forces, Scouts, Guides, Our Lady RC Primary School, pensioners from Golden Time groups at Bethnal Green and Cubitt Town libraries, members of Crisis homeless and Neighbours in Poplar charities, the Renaissance Foundation, Shadwell’s Sonali Gardens centre, St Hilda’s in Wapping and Bethnal Green’s Sundial centre.

Music was performed by the Saturday Music Centre Recorder Ensemble, Stepney’s Sir John Cass Steel Pan Orchestra, Spitalfields Music and the Whitechapel Voices Cluster Choir.

A 41-gun salute at the Tower of London to mark the Queen's Jubilee.(Photo Nick Wilkinson)

And as if that wasn’t enough, the party literally ended with a bag—or rather, 41 bangs. A few yards along, a 41 gun salute was fired to honour the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.