THIS summer Poole Park will ring to the sounds of a joyful day-long celebration to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee.

The People's Park will be full of family picnics, music, arts, stalls, fun and games on June 3 - a huge community event to mark the royal anniversary.

And the Victorian park at the heart of the town is no stranger to such right royal revels marking coronation and jubilee celebrations for residents.

However the park's first visit from royalty, to formally open it in January 1890, did not go exactly according to plan. If you turn to page 6 you can read a full account of how Poole Park was given its royal seal of approval.

The borough really went to town in May 1935 for three days of celebrations to mark the Silver Jubilee of King George V and Queen Mary.

There was a royal salute of 21 maroons, band concerts, sports, maypole dancing, illuminations, 2/6 paid to all pensioners over 70 and unemployed people over 18 and a mass drum head service in which five local bands took part.

Only two years later the coronation celebrations of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth - the Queen Mother - on May 12 1937 took a mere 15hours.

Huge crowds were attracted to the open-air service, races, sports, displays, torchlight procession and grand firework display.

And next day's Poole and East Dorset Herald described the coronation festivities as: "Generally acknowledged to be the most complete of its kind within memory."

Also within living memory are the coronation celebrations of the Queen in 1953.

Many people, including Bob Harris, head of democratic services at the borough of Poole, still have the mug with the council's arms presented to them as schoolchildren.

A trawl through council minutes reveals a host of activities held throughout the borough and in the park there was an athletics meeting, rowing races, aquatic sports, model yacht and cycling races.

The council commemorated the event with a volume of formal photos of all 51 councillors, chief officers and officials - and a £126 overspend on an estimated £2,504 budget.

There have been many other royal celebrations and royal visits to the park including Edward, Prince of Wales, laying a wreath on the new war memorial in 1927.

A far cry from the flag-waving hysteria when Princess Diana touched down by helicopter in 1988 for a visit to the town.