A shop window display Dalston pic Oliver Shaw

It’s the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee- are you excited? HRH- – hopes the celebration will install a local sense of:  “togetherness, strength of family, friendship, and good neighbourliness.”

In the warm up for the Olympics, is the Jubilee about national and local pride, or are you just happy for an extra long weekend?

Mattia Pozzoni pic: Sean Lindholm

Mattia Pozzoni, Dalston, 28, Head of PR/Marketing- ‘We Are CAN’

“ I want it to be tropical, like today, all weekend! I’m going to see a huge DJ on Friday night so it’ll be perfect if my mates and me can chill here in London Fields and soak up more sun on Saturday. Well, we might go to Field day on Saturday too, guess I’ll see how I feel. I’m taking my girlfriend to Stokey for a street party on Sunday, and on Monday a crew of us are going The Star Of Bethnal Green to get funky- pretty action packed weekend init!”

Ketui Msoni, 31, off-license shopkeeper, New Cross.

“I have nothing planned because I will be working here in the shop. I expect it to be busy in here especially on Friday, Saturday and Sunday – it’s the Queen’s party!”

Danny Vanderwyr

Danny Vanderwyr, Shoreditch, 29, Art Director

“I reckon it’ll have to be Field Day. I’ve only just moved to town from Australia this morning, so I’m not sure what other parties are going on, but I reckon it’ll be a wicked weekend!”

George Johnson, 77, retired, Forest Hill.

“We’re having a street party in Ackroyd Road in Forest Hill with the family and all our neighbours. I’m going to be dancing all day. We are really looking forward to this one, and then we’ll have another party for Jamaican Independence in August. We’ve had a lot of street parties since I moved to New Cross from Jamaica in 1958.”

Ambra Gattiglia

Ambra Gattiglia, Catford, 25, Student

“My friend is coming to stay with me from Italy, I told her this would be a brilliant weekend to visit because there’s so much going on. On Saturday we’re going to have a walk around Catford, Honor Oak Park, and Forest Hill, to see if there are some lovely local street parties happening, and on Sunday we’re going to Apple Cart Festival in Victoria Park- I can’t wait!”

Patricia Golden, 78, retired, Deptford and Trofimena Dumarey, 80, retired, Deptford.

Patricia: “I’ll be sat at home watching it on the telly, ‘cause I’m disabled. I do like the royals though I think we’re better off with them than without them, I think the young ones are still interested too, especially since Will’s wedding, I’ve heard quite a few say they’re proud to be English.”

Trofimena: “I’m heading down to the river to watch the boats, it’ll be lovely on the Thames.”

Aziz Alam

Aziz Alam, Mile End, 39, Shop Worker/ Student

“Actually I’ll be working on Saturday and Sunday, but then on Monday I’ll be taking my kids to the park here in Mile End for the Jubilee family day. My friends are taking their kids too and we’ll all be there together. I’ve got the balloons here ready for the celebration, my two sons are very excited.”

Words and pictures by  Sean Lindhom and Lucy Gallagher