PLANS are in place for Chard to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday this summer, with a whole list of festivities in store.

The first event will see the town’s beacon will be lit on the Queen’s birthday, on April 21, at 6.30pm.

The road will not be closed for this event, and the council has said all local children’s groups, and children not in a group, are welcome.

Cllr Jenny Kenton, head of the Queen’s Birthday Working Group, said: “There will be hot chocolate and marshmallows available for the children but it would be helpful for numbers if groups contact the town council to say they are coming.”

The Three Counties swing band event will take place on Friday, May 13, at 7.30pm.

The evening event will be 1940s themed, with a supper to suit the era, and the tickets for the event will be a ration token that the public will have to hand over to get their food. Tickets will be £7.50.

On Saturday, May 14, there will be four free craft demonstrations in the Guildhall during the morning, including a flag workshop for children.

This will be held in the auditorium between 10am and 12pm.

Chard Town Council, who are organising the celebrations, are now looking for craft people who might want to have a stall at the market.

Then, in the afternoon, the council will be holding a Right Royal Tea between 3pm and 4.30pm.

Being near to Somerset Day, this could see the council make the event Somerset themed, with sandwiches and cakes to support this.

Tickets will cost £2.50 and the event is open to everybody.

On July 23, the council will have a similar street craft and vintage market along Holyrood Street and in the Guildhall with street entertainers.

This will be part of the Summer Festival, which is run by the Chard town team.

The market will trade from 9am until 2pm and the council are asking craft people to contact the Guildhall to book a place in the market or Guildhall. Pitch fees will be 10 per cent of the takings on the day but no more than £10. Plans have also started being put in place for Ilminster’s own celebrations.

At the start of this month, volunteers took part in the Clean for the Queen event, which saw people taking to the streets to clean the town’s road signs.

The volunteers armed with buckets of soapy water and sponges cleaned road signs in the market Square, East Street, Silver Street, North Street, West Street, Court Barton, Ditton Street, High Street, Strawberry Bank, Canal Way and Orchard Vale.

John Goodall, co-ordinator of the Clean for the Queen project and on Ilminster Forum, said: “It was wonderful to see what a small amount of effort put in by volunteers can achieve in helping to brighten up our town.”