How to put on the best Coronation street party

For the crowning of Charles, London locales will be turned into a carnival of celebrations. David Ellis and Josh Barrie offer their tips on how to make sure your street beats all the others on the day

- David Ellis and Josh Barrie

WHAT will be one of this century’s most historic days is nearly upon us. Come May 6, the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla will make this new royal era official — and we will become Caroleans (much better than being Charlatons). A nation will all hail His Majesty; not just for the royal malarkey, but for the bonus bank holiday on May 8. At present, it even looks like the sun will be out. Up the bunting, paint the kids’ faces in red, white and blue and grab your paper crowns. Here’s how to host the ultimate Coronation street party — as in the King, not the TV soap.

Royal regulations

Street parties are considered a “small event” so there’s no need for a licence, but councils can be tricky and each has its own requirements and permissions. Head to gov.uk/apply-hold-street-party to check what’s what. In terms of tedious form filling, there shouldn’t be tons — there’s no insurance required, no music licence needed and the Food Standards Agency doesn’t require anything either. Broadly speaking though, all councils require notice that a street shindig is happening — and the cut-off for applications, especially those requiring road closures, has long passed. That said, there are no deadlines set in law, so it may be worth ringing your council to see if there is flexibility. If not, moving things to a garden or a driveway remains an option, as no permission is required for a party on private land so long as entrance is free, alcohol is not being sold and playing music isn’t the primary focus (breaching these rules requires a £21 temporary event notice). Or organise what’s called a “street meet”, where everything is on the pavements. It’s an easy get-around.

Dress the part