What a weekend - Watch as Sunderland wraps up four days of Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Parties to celebrate seven decades of Her Majesty’s rule have been held across the city over the course of the four-day Bank Holiday weekend.

Hundreds of people flocked to a special Big Jubilee Lunch event in Mowbray Park on Sunday, June 5.

The event – a joint initiative between Sunderland BID and the city council – included music from Back Chat Brass, street performers, sports activities, street food, a silent disco-style clubbercise, Zumba and cardio blast sessions, a range of garden games and even an outdoor cinema screening a number of movies on a royal theme.

Bid boss Sharon Appleby was delighted with the turn-out and said the event had capped off a fantastic weekend for the city.

"It’s really good – I’m pleased with how many people are here,” she said.

"We have worked with a lot of the local community groups and it has been a massive team effort with everyone involved, which has been really good to see.

"With the Ed Sheeran concerts at the Stadium of Light as well as all the jubilee celebrations, it has been a great weekend.

"We have had lots of stuff going on and people have really appreciated it – it has all had a great feeling and we have got to create that more and more.”

Friends Margaret McManus, 49, and Katy Scott, 46, came from Silksworth with Margaret’s son Joseph McGann, six, and Katy’s pair, Jake, six, and seven-year-old Dylan.

"I remember the Silver Jubilee, so I thought we needed to come down and mark the occasion in some way,” said Margaret.

Residents at retirement complexes Aspen Court, Plane Tree Court and Birch Court at Doxford Park were treated to a special party with a little help from their friends, as organiser Susan Eccles explained: “I approached Neil Thornton, the manager at Morrisons at Doxford Park and he got right behind us,” she said.

"Morrisons have given us a lot of help with providing the food – they gave us a gift card to spend in the store on anything that we needed.

“And Colin, the manager of the Doxy Lad, is paying half the cost of the singer we have got coming down.”