Midlanders shun party celebrations for Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton

Mar 13 2011 by Adam Aspinall, Sunday Mercury

PARTY poopers in the Midlands will not be dancing in the streets to celebrate the Royal Wedding.

It had been hoped that thousands of patriotic Brits would break out the bunting and arrange street parties on April 29, raising a glass to Prince William and Kate Middleton.

But in some areas of the Midlands not a single application has been lodged, and interest has been lukewarm elsewhere.

Among those councils who have received no party requests at all are Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Stoke and Staffordshire.

Many others in the region report just a handful.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council even attempted to make it easy for people to hold street parties by waiving the fee for the required public notices, which usually cost £500.

But the response: ZERO.

Last night Stoke city councillor Brian Ward, cabinet member for housing, planning and transportation, who organised the deferrment of the public notice fee, admitted he was disappointed.

“I am very surprised that nobody has come forward,” he said. “I don’t think people are as patriotic as they used to be, and communities just don’t seem to get together as much as they used to. It’s a real shame.

“Local communities used to be organised round the working men’s clubs and pubs, but in many areas these have closed down.

“I also think that people are unsure of how to organise these things. Local councils need to make it that much clearer and hopefully then we will have a rush of applications.”

In Sandwell local Labour councillor Elaine Costigan said she was ‘bemused’ by the lack of interest.

“I am really surprised by this,” she said. “Lots of people are talking about doing it, but no-one has actually got their act together yet.