The Union Jack bunting is up, the commemorative plates are out of the cupboard and St Albans is ready to party this extended bank holiday weekend to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

The fun kicks off with a free street party in St Albans city centre on Thursday, featuring live music and dozens of market stalls selling takeaway food and drink with plenty of outdoor seating for people to get together.

The Platinum Party will be centred on St Peter’s Street, which will be closed to traffic, and run from 3pm to 10pm.

There will be an action-packed entertainment programme which will include something for people of all ages and celebrate the diverse society the UK has become during the Queen’s reign.

Children’s activities will include games, face painting, circus skills workshops and a magic show.

The fun event will culminate with a beacon lighting at 9.15pm as part of a nationwide commemoration.

Meanwhile, legendary boozer Ye Olde Fighting Cocks will be kicking off its Platinum Jubilee celebrations with a jazz quartet playing high energy songs of the 30s and 40s in its garden on Friday.

The youthful jazz band, Alan Beechey's Bright Stars of Jazz, which is taking the jazz world by storm with their talent, spark and energy, will be followed by Vipera, a five-piece country, blues and roots inspired rock band roots rock band.

Landlord Martin Robinson said: "Queen Elizabeth II is the 61st monarch of the whole of England to have been on the throne since this pub's foundations were laid. And, she is the oldest living monarch - which we very much respect, as the oldest pub in the country!

"We will be celebrating her contribution to history in our historic pub, alongside the rest of the country, and are looking forward to a bank holiday weekend of partying with friends and family."

Dozens of street parties are also expected to take place across the district - send us your photos to hertsad@archant.co.uk and we'll run a selection online and in next week's paper.