Take a look at what to do in Dorset during this upcoming Jubilee weekend and discover the surprising secret that has seen the Queen into Her platinum year!
Hip Hip Hooray, for four-day weekends! Rejoice, rejoice! The platinum jubilee has come! From Thursday the 2nd of June until Sunday the 5th of June, the nation has been awarded a four-day weekend to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which marks the 70th anniversary of the coronation of the queen. Aged just 27 years old when crowned, Queen Elizabeth is Britain’s longest reigning monarch.
The secret to this longevity is in part due to the Queen’s fitness and endurance. It was said that an essential criteria of accompanying the Queen on royal engagements or becoming a lady-in-waiting, was the stamina to match their Majesty’s ability to stand for hours without tiring, often times going without food or drink. Even highly trained bodyguards, and the famously indomitable ‘Iron Lady’, have been known to struggle to keep up and tire in the Queen’s unflappable wake. Glamour magazine once reported how, ‘during a state visit to the Bush White House in the early 1990s, the president congratulated the queen on doing something few people far younger had achieved. Her bracing walking speed had “left even the Secret Service panting,” he joked.’
The Queen’s fitness and stamina are not due to intense workouts and a platinum gym membership, rather an enduring love for the outdoors. It is reported that every day at two-thirty p.m the queen will take a long walk. A deceptively gentle thing, this steady dedication is due to a genuine love and enjoyment of being outdoors and slowly but surely walking in the fresh, open air. This steadier approach to exercise is unlike the fitness methods that have been popularised lately, as well as the increasing number of intensive training routines, which reflects the rise in the popularity of extreme sports, such as climbing, bouldering, lifting and free diving. For longevity in life and our careers, Her Majesty’s steady plod is the one to emulate. The same article shared the findings of researcher Dan Buettner who noticed that, ‘people most likely to reach their 100th birthday were those who simply walked and moved more every day, not necessarily more strenuously.’ The Queen, who always enjoyed walking and playing outside as a child, simply continued following what she loved as a form of exercise as an adult. When we enjoy the activity, and it is fun, we are far more likely to continue a relationship with it. The reason why most people cancel their gym-memberships after just six months is because the intense bursts of working out are not naturally enjoyable and actually release less endorphins than lower intensity exercises. In fact, ‘research has shown that exercise and pleasure actually coexist at a much lower range of physical intensity’. At Dorset Adventure Park, we know how important it is to enjoy physical activity! No one could be bored whilst bouncing along a wibit inflatable course, charging through a muddy obstacle course or diving into our brilliant blue lakes. It may be a little bit more intense than roaming around Windsor Castle like Her Majesty, but it is definitely an enjoyable pursuit – and that is the secret after all. Now that we know why the Queen has reigned for so long, let’s take a look at what we can do in Dorset to celebrate this remarkable longevity and moment in history.
Queen Elizabeth II walking in the grounds of Balmoral Castle, 1967.
Corfe Castle
There is something powerful and ancient about this particular Jubilee marker. Like something out of an ancient Greek tragedy or Lord of the Rings, beacons will be lit up and down the country to honour the Queen’s Jubilee. Dorset Adventure Park is nestled at the feet of the ruins of the historic Corfe Castle, which will be one of the spectacular sights for jubilee beacons. The website information states that on Thursday 2nd of June, in the evening there will be the lighting of the Corfe Castle Beacon at 9.45pm. The locations for the gatherings will be in the Village Square, Church Lawn and the Castle grounds. Corfe Castle is a suitably fitting location, as the castle was famously a Royalist stronghold during the English civil war.
On Sunday the 5th of June, Corfe Castle will also host a bog picnic gathering to celebrate the Jubilee. This is a family event which invites visitors to, ‘bring your own picnics, seating or rugs, gazebos etc’ and enjoy a wholesome afternoon.
Poole
A big picnic event is also on offer in the walled garden at Upton Country Park, Poole. This beautiful picnic spot invites you to join in their Jubilee celebratory picnic on Thursday the 2nd of June where you can either, ‘bring your own picnic or purchase one from the Tearooms and join in. There will be music from Swing Unlimited’s Community Big Band, playing 45-minute sets at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm. The event will take place from 11am – 4pm.’
Also in Poole, is the unique opportunity to celebrate the platinum Jubilee on a ‘Best of British’ boat cruise. City Cruises will be holding these evening events throughout the bank holiday weekend, from Thursday the 2nd through to Sunday the 5th of June. With City Cruises inviting you to join them, ‘for an evening of fun and celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Upon boarding the vessel, you will be greeted with a welcome glass of Pimm’s for you to enjoy as the boat departs. Once the boat has departed, the Best of the British themed disco gets started and guests then get to enjoy the delicious three course British bowl food as you continue to celebrate the illustrious occasion. Entertainment will be provided by DJ Rob on three of the nights and Gary Foley as Elvis will provide the entertainment on the evening of Friday 3rd. This three-hour cruise departs Poole at 7pm and includes a glass of Pimms and a three-course bowl food meal.’
Dorset Adventure Park
At Dorset Adventure Park, we will remain open for the entire bank holiday weekend, in order for visitors to make the most of their special four days by visiting us for a tip-top time. We invite you to celebrate the platinum Jubilee by engaging in some joyful activities. After all, by simply enjoying physical exercise, the Queen has been able to continue reigning as Britain’s longest serving Monarch. Join us for some silliness, laughter and physical fun and as our Monarch once said, “let us not take ourselves too seriously.”
Words by, Olivia Lowry
