Meetings, drawings and presentations

Our client was The Golden Jubilee Weekend Trust. From the outset, communication with the client was always directed through Alan Jacobi. Unusual were required to undertake regular presentations to the client and the steering committee to keep them informed of progress. This involved extensive CAD, graphics visualisation and Powerpoint work - all undertaken in-house by Unusual.

The Operational and Safety Planning Group was formed to ensure close communication between all agencies and authorities in relation to the provision of public safety for the weekend. An integral part of this group, Unusual both contributed and responded to the requirements of the agencies and emergency services.
In March, we were asked to provide a full presentation for the National Media Briefing on the weekend. This involved graphics, staging, sound, lighting along with specially created AV and Powerpoint material.

A full presentation was given to Buckingham Palace in relation to the son et lumiere and the fireworks display. Tests were carried out to ensure that the fabric and fixtures of the building would not be damaged.

From the outset, we knew that this was going to involve endless planning. An early decision was to use an extranet solution to communicate basic information such as tender documents and schedules. Everybody, who needed information was issued with a log in and password and the onus was then put upon the user to log on regularly and pick up the updates.

Sorting out the site plan was a long drawn out process. There were at least 20 agencies and organisations amounting to what must have been 100 people, who had some sort of opinion or requirement of the site plan. The basics for the procession form-up areas was sorted in mid December but the broadcaster requirements were not finalised until the end of April.

Praise is due to Tony, Claire and Chuck for remaining so patient. There was a permanent ‘chicken & egg’ situation with the process of determining what was on the plan, where it was going to be and where it fitted into the programme of works.

Following the events of September 11th, security was always going to be a big issue. Road closures, fencing, stewarding and access accreditation were considered in minute detail. Hours and hours were spent on barrier plans. All the procession participants had to wear wristbands - colour coded for each procession. Underlying the whole process, we had to know who everybody was and to be able to back up that knowledge with documentary evidence.

Outside our control !

Throughout the weekend, there were going to be activities and circumstances that we knew were beyond our control. From the outset, we knew that the Changing of the Guard meant no vehicle deliveries between 10am and 1pm every day. It also meant that noisy and disruptive activity had be curtailed during this period.

On Saturday 1st June, the whole area was handed over to the Military for a dress rehearsal of the Trooping of the Colour until 2 pm. Early on Sunday morning, the process was repeated but this time the dress rehearsal was for the State Procession on Tuesday.
The BBC were presenting the concerts from Buckingham Palace Gardens on Saturday 1st and Monday 3rd June. Although we had our own cameras and Outside Broadcast unit covering the front of Buckingham Palace, The Queen Victoria Memorial and The Mall, we were taking the main feed from the BBC.

..... and then there was the small case of an unexpected fire in Buckingham Palace on Sunday 2nd June at around 7 pm. The fire was unconnected to any activity related to the weekend celebrations, but there were in excess of 1.5 tonnes of fireworks on the roof for the display due on the next day!

Transport
Not only were there hundreds of vehicle deliveries, there were also considerable issues concerning Health & Safety and security. North Carriage Drive on Hyde Park became a marshalling yard under the control of Bruce Carter. All vehicles reported there and were subsequently called down to site when convenient.

All vehicles delivering to Buckingham Palace had to be searched by the Police and were then escorted down to site.

2200 Hours 31st May. The roads were closed around the focal area of Buckingham Palace and The Mall.

From Saturday 1st June any daytime movement of vehicles was all but prohibited due to security considerations and larger crowds than expected.

On Tuesday, the road closure programme affected a larger area of Central London and all vehicles arriving with procession participants were issued with colour coded passes related to their processions.