AS an ‘elderly’ person whose main form of entertainment these days is TV, combined with a very low boredom threshold, this means that a bank holiday weekend often consists of loads of TV repeats, combined with a bit of gardening.

However, the Diamond Jubilee weekend proved to be a wonderful exception to the usual rule, as both the BBC and ITV surpassed themselves with programmes with appeal to all ages and interests.

For me the programme that summed up the entire spirit of the celebrations was All The Queen’s Horses. The programme was diverse and absolutely fascinating in its illustration of the extent of the popularity of the Queen in so many different countries.

The narrators, Helen Mirren and Alan Titchmarsh, did a superb job of providing the background of all the participating countries and their representatives and the very complex programme was presented without a hitch.

In addition to the celebratory coverage of the weekend events, coverage on national TV was also given to an opposition group who voiced, as one would expect, their republican views. I wonder just how many supposed democracies would allow such views to be given national air time on such an occasion.

Long live democracy and our freedom of speech.

Liz Edge, Parkside Close, York.

• Through the Press can I thank the organisers of our street party who are too numerous to mention individually.

I believe the Queen was invited, but she could not come. However we were not deterred and carried on for her benefit. People were put in charge of fun, food, seating, and much more.

I arrived at the shindig wearing my new party hat and other suitable apparel and what a do it was. We even had a residents’ band and a pretty singer, oh and a fashion show too.

One of our older residents was taking photographs. I thought we would see copies a week or so later, so imagine my surprise when he returned in 15 minutes with photographs on his ipad – well done Mr Acomb.

A good time was had by all.

Anne Church, Severus Avenue, York.

• IN RESPONSE to Julian Cole’s column (The Press, June 7) concerning the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and the system of monarchy in general, he is obviously striving, as a member of the “vaguely disgruntled left”, to say something meaningfully critical but instead manages to say nothing much at all.

Typical of his jaundiced viewpoint, he has neither the feel nor understanding for the historical, political and cultural benefits bestowed by our evolved system of constitutional monarchy.

For Julian and his ilk inhabit the grey world of the quasi-atheistic socialist, yearning for some sort of egalitarian utopia, but unsure how it can be achieved.

Nevertheless they would happily sacrifice a thousand years of history in the cause of a Socialist republic.

Dream on, Julian, because it is not going to happen any time soon.

God Save The Queen!

Martin Smith, Main St, Elvington, York.

• SINCERE thanks to the Letters page of The Press for helping us to find our friends, Hilary and John of York.

The response to the letter was wonderful. We had their surname and telephone number very soon after the paper came out and the phone calls kept coming for some time. Hilary’s email box was also overloaded with messages about the letter, in case she missed it – which she did.

The end result was that we spent a few very happy days with our friends and their extended family and celebrated the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with them in true English style. It was a very special time for all of us.

We would especially like to thank Vicky and Lynda, in The Press’s reception, for their friendly assistance.

Colleen and Doug Reddy, Brisbane, Australia.