THE Queen will take a stroll along Weymouth Esplanade on her day trip to Dorset next month.
She will take in all the British seaside traditions, from Punch and Judy to donkey rides, during her visit to the Georgian promenade on June 11.
In showcasing itself ahead of the 2012 Olympics, Weymouth Beach will become a hive of activity, with beach volleyball and football demonstrations.
And to make the Queen and Prince Phillip right at home, a keep-fit session will take place around a sand sculpture of Windsor Castle.
Tom Grainger, chief executive of Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to show off one of Weymouth’s jewels.
“The seafront and Esplanade are well known throughout the UK and we look forward to updating Her Majesty and His Royal Highness on how the area is being regenerated.
“This will be a wonderful chance for the people of South Dorset to see The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh.”
Arriving in Dorset on the Royal train, the party will visit The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy earlier in the day and sail aboard a 30-metre Sunseeker yacht from there to Weymouth.
They will later move on to Bovington Tank Museum and Goldy’s Farm Shop in Lytchett Matravers.
The trip is intended to demonstrate how Dorset has come to the fore in recent years through embracing innovation and sustainability, while retaining its community focus.
At the Sailing Academy, The Queen will meet Olympic hopefuls in training, as well as schoolchildren from Burton Bradstock Primary School benefiting from the Sail for a Fiver scheme.
The programme is run in conjunction with the Chesil Trust, which offers subsidised courses, many of which are aimed at young people who are disabled or at a social disadvantage.
John Tweed, chief executive of the academy, said: “There will be a number of young people learning to sail and we hope to give a real flavour of how this facility is for the whole community, not just the competitive sailors.”
The Queen will officially open the new wing of the Tank Museum in the afternoon.
It follows the completion of the £16.5m redevelopment project, financed by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant, which features 33 of the most important tanks in history.
The Royal couple will tour the exhibitions, meet some of the veterans whose stories have been captured and, following the formal opening of the new building, will be treated to a short live tank action display.
Richard Smith, director of the Tank Museum, said: “The visit will mark a moment of enormous pride for all the staff at the museum who have worked so hard to deliver our redevelopment project and it is particularly rewarding to have The Queen officially open our new wing.”
The day will wind up with a trip to the award-winning Goldy’s Farm Shop, where Her Royal Highness will open a new energy centre.
It is Goldy’s latest approach to bringing together sustainable technology and traditional farming methods.
Co-director Jenny Goldsack said: “It will be an opportunity to showcase how the technology we are developing is being put to use, both to introduce new growing strategies at the farm but also on a commercial basis.”
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