ENOUGH Union Jack bunting to stretch almost the length of the kingdom is pouring out of a Christchurch warehouse as jubilee fervour grips the nation - but storeroom staff are not flagging.
From civic celebrations to private parties the Peeks Party Store in Reid Street has gone into overdrive as the country gears up for a right royal celebration.
"It has blown the Millennium right out of the water," said marketing manager Nick Peek.
The family firm which had its own 'royal' visit earlier this month when professional Queen look-alike Jeanette Charles helped relaunch the store is supplying some 500 miles of Union Jack bunting and patriotic pennants.
Then there are the flags, plates, table cloths, party hats, serviettes...
"It has been steadily building up since January but in the last three weeks it has really gone ballistic," said Nick, the third generation of his family to work in the firm founded by his grandfather John Peek at Tuckton in 1946.
He added: "When people were saying no one was interested and the jubilee was going to be a flop, we were getting requests for catalogues and product information.
"Over the last month that has been turned into orders and we have been working weekends and evenings, calling up all our Christmas packers and taking on extra staff. We have pretty much doubled our collating and packing team."
"The main problem is getting the stuff from our suppliers, they can't make it fast enough."
Telephone orders from around the country have been pouring in to Peeks at the rate of 300 calls an hour jamming the company's switchboard and prompting managing director John Peek to limit remaining golden jubilee stock to customers calling in at the store.
He said: "The demand for golden jubilee stock has surpassed the silver jubilee. We have 75,000 lengths of union flag bunting due to be delivered this week and it is all allocated to orders."
And if that wasn't enough the approach of the football world cup has added to the demand on Peeks as England fans place their orders for Cross of St George flags and other patriotic party products.
"We are getting requests from all kinds of places and around the world by e-mail and from the website. And it is not just for England flags but also for other countries like Sweden and Nigeria," said Nick Peek.
l The Daily Echo is running a series of World Cup and Jubilee roadshows in the run-up to this summer's biggest events. Call in and see our teams to pick up your Echo and goodie bag at Safeways in Lymington or Balfour, New Milton, today from 11am to 3pm.
The teams will be at Boscombe's Sovereign Centre and WH Smith in Poole tomorrow.
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