Hardcore partying: the Jubilee.

If there is anything more British than a right Royal Knees up then it's the chance that the skies will open and the weather will be miserable.

Hello Jubilee Bank Holiday Weekend.

James May's Bun Launcher

It says a lot about the Great British Public. In just about every city and town, as a nation, we are still out in force. Armed with nothing but grim determination, bunting and sausage rolls, we WILL celebrate. Even if it results in kids with colds for the rest of the holidays and suspected cases of trench foot. 

The precipitation has somewhat hampered the Lazy Mum's participation in local festivities today. 

(And before I get any more decidedly republican emails, this isn't a discussion on the monarchy. It's about attempting to do something with the kids on a bank holiday weekend. Four days is a LONG time. )

Lazy Mum is hoping the weather clears for the Bun Throwing later. 

Managed to catch a glimpse of the contraption that James May has come up with: it looks like a big length of tubing: almost like a mini cannon. Keen to see how far it launches the buns - and if it shoots them with enough force to cause injury. 

I was about to say I was now going to brave going out, but the clouds have opened and it's pissing down. 

Even the promise of a Gazebo cannot tempt me. 

It's cold and it's wet and children will be present. Therefore, large amounts of alcohol (which would help add some sense of fun to the occasion) are strictly off limits. Instead we must sit in the rain and have enforced - fixed-grin-fun punctuated by time checking and packing up the car at the merest inkling of another bloody down pour.

Nothing better than a Bank Holiday Weekend. With a sofa, and a duvet. 

A Great set of Buns for the Jubilee

The best thing about the Royal Jubilee is the sense of Occasion. I’m not even sure that an upper case “O” is enough to convey the huge amount of preparations currently going on: or the huge amounts of bunting absolutely Everywhere. There’s bunting. And there’s bunting on bunting. And then……

(The bunting though. Nice bunting itself I like, but there is horrendous tacky pictures, banners and plastic junk all over the place. It’s really not required. The country should be celebrating itself, not the ability to import the cheapest of tat.) However: I digress.

Amongst all the pomp and pageantry, the soldiers in bearskin hats, the horse and carriages, eccentric England has always had a fine line in quirky traditions.  And Bun Throwing, this particularly regional tradition is one of the more bizarre.

Since the 19th, the Royal town of Abingdon Upon Thames has been marking Royal Occasions (marriages, births, coronations and so forth) in a unique “Bun Throwing” event. The Town Councillors gather on the roof of the recently refurbished County Hall in the centre of the town, and throw thousands spiced buns down to celebratory throng below in the Market Place. The County Hall  contains a Museum dedicated to the history of Abingdon (also home of the MG motor car.) In their cabinets are some dried buns from many Bun Throwing’s through the years.

There is also “Throwing Buns” an aptly named café right next to the county hall, which contains a wealth of information on the cake-y craziness. I have to admit it's a particular favourite of the Lazy Mum, nearly daily a variable faction of yummy, slummy, lazy mums meet to come to terms with another day. The coffee and cakes help soften the blow.*The Buns* as called affectionately is a real oasis of quirky loveliness slap bang in the centre of Abingdon. 

And here I was to find the only non tacky piece of Jubilee merchandise, and something celebrating all things unique, handmade and eccentric. It’s this (available to order HERE.)beautiful girls dress. Something beautiful, unique and unusual. I’m so against the tat. Throwing Buns cafe has again got the tone just right. And this gorgeous dress by Mandmade is made by hand in Abingdon itself. 

This year sees an attempt to solve the age old problem of the Mayor and dignitaries not being able to throw the Buns very far from the top of the magnificent County Hall. The council invited James May the charmingly eccentric Top Gear and maverick  "Man Lab" to come up with a solution. Mr May is most likely fretting over last minute detail - or it may have all fallen apart - as this is written so the results are awaited with baited breath. His contraption is set to be displayed in the County Hall after the Jubilee and will also feature on his popular Man Lab TV series.