Picture gallery: How Yorkshire celebrated the Jubilee

Squares, parks and roads across the county were filled with Union Jacks and bunting as people toasted 60 years of Her Majesty’s reign with celebrations ranging from street parties to huge organised events.

From a spectacular flotilla on the River Humber to a record-breaking bunting challenge at Clumber Park and a jaw-dropping light show at Scarborough Castle, there was something for everyone in every corner of the White Rose county.

Hundreds of beacons were lit in locations as varied as Sunk Island, on the Humber, Stoodley Pike near Hebden Bridge and Roseberry Topping in North Yorkshire, as the night sky came alight with a trail of flames stretching across the county, the country and the Commonwealth.

With two additional Bank Holidays creating a four-day weekend, it was a perfect opportunity for people to put the financial doom and gloom of the recession out of their minds and enjoy simple, traditional celebrations with their friends, family and neighbours.

British spirit shone through on Sunday, June 3 when torrential rain threatened to overshadow street parties, but was met head-on with Wellington boots, raincoats and a hefty dose of old-fashioned resolve. Nothing was going to stop this party.

In Doncaster, the official opening of the town’s first public square, named after railway engineer Sir Nigel Gresley, was combined with a huge Jubilee party complete with a day-long programme of live music, comedy and dance.

And champagne corks were popped on Skipton High Street which was specially closed to traffic allowing revellers to enjoy a rather rain-soaked picnic.

In Leeds, big screens beamed in live coverage from London to Millennium Square where groups of people, undeterred by teeming rain, gathered for a Big Jubilee Lunch and to watch the grand Diamond Jubilee River Pageant.

York won the competition among Yorkshire’s cities to see which could host the most street parties, with the council permitting 41 road closures for parties and parades.

Those streets that marked the occasion included Jubilee Terrace, which is believed to have been named in honour of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897.

“It’s brought a lot of the community together,” said Kelly Bailey, landlord of the street’s pub – also called The Jubilee.

Indeed the royal fervour echoed that seen at last year’s Royal Wedding – but this time the focus was firmly on the remarkable achievements of the Queen and the importance of community spirit, just like in years past.

And the enthusiasm of crowds across Yorkshire proved that the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, many of which had been many months in the making, were more than worth the effort.