Last month, I wrote about the coming year and the opportunities it will offer us to mark some very key sporting and social occasions.  One of the most important events will be the celebrations in early June to mark The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Sixty years is a huge length of time to serve this country and its people, and is second only in length to the reign of Queen Victoria which lasted almost 64 years.  In that time, Her Majesty the Queen has given unstinting and exemplary service to people close to home and oversees, and taken a keen and active interest in political developments, the work of many charities, music and the arts, the affairs of the Church, wildlife and nature and, of course, her beloved horse racing!  There is much to be grateful for and to celebrate.

On Sunday 3rd June we invite you to come and be a part of some very special celebrations, where the memories will live long:

The coming year will be one that many have looked forward to for some time.  For those who hate sport, it is probably time to hibernate and emerge in the Autumn when it is all over!  But with the Euro 2012 football tournament, Test series against Pakistan, the West Indies and South Africa and the Olympics and Paralympics it is going to be quite a sporting year, to say nothing of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and other important events that will also take place.

But as well as looking forward, the start of a New Year can also be a time to reflect on all that happened during the past twelve months.
What events affected you and your family last year?  For some people, 2011 will have fulfilled all their hopes and promises; others will feel that the year brought more than its fair share of disappointments and sadness, which they will be relieved to leave behind. In the light of this, what are your hopes for the months ahead?