A RETIRED nurse is organising one of the first street parties in the Tavistock area to mark the King’s Coronation.

Cathy Sharp, 63, is due to canvas her neighbours in Friar’s Walk, Whitchurch, on their reaction to her idea for Saturday afternoon, May 6.

She has previously organised a VE Day party in the cul-de-sac on the 75th anniversary in 2020 during lockdown.

Cathy said she uncovered a sense of community and neighbourhood and feels it is time to revitalise that: ‘It’s a very British thing to do, to celebrate an historic occasion in this way. Most people weren’t alive for the last Coronation, so it’s a rare and historic event to mark.

‘I think people love doing this kind of thing and even though we’re reserved as a nation in interacting with our neighbours and talking to strangers, it has happened in recent years. Living in a cul-de-sac makes it perfect for a street party. I organised the VE celebrations when we were all banned from meeting indoors and even outdoors we had to be socially distanced.’

Ironically, Cathy’s Coronation party planning has been slightly delayed by her contracting covid: ‘It seems like history is repeating itself. I’m not particularly royalist, but this is a rare occasion. It’s also more about getting people together and talking and meeting, otherwise too many of us spend time alone. There’s a wide variety of families and households, some live alone, some are families and we have some Ukrainian refugees as well. So, it should be a real sociable occasion.’