The good people of Islington (that’s us lot) love a knees-up. Any excuse for a bit of partying in N1!

Well, any excuse for a bit of partying, unless the excuse is a royal wedding. In this country, royal weddings normally herald street parties held by ordinary citizens while the great and the good pile into Westminster Abbey for a bit of a sing-song.

In the past, street parties have proved very popular, what with their jellied eels, bunting and breakdancing. However, Islington Council has been shocked to receive not one application to close a street to hold a party for Wills and Kate.

Now, if you’re anything like me (fabulous/living/breathing) then your first thought on hearing the news of the royal engagement would not have been of the joy of two young lovers sealing their union, or even relief for poor Kate that all of that waiting around hadn’t been for nothing (trust me love, we’ve all been there).

No, your first thought would have been: “YES! ANOTHER BANK HOLIDAY! ANOTHER CHANCE FOR A LIE-IN!” As opposed to: “Ooh, I must inconvenience myself by throwing a massively expensive street party that nobody can afford at the moment.” Did you know that it usually costs �3,200 to close a street? For that sort of money, I’d expect to buy a street, or at least rent it out for an hour.

In fairness, the council has waived the cheeky �3,200 fee in the hope that someone in Islington will forego their day off to get up early and organise a party. The truth though is that street parties still cost money. All of those sugary snacks won’t pay for themselves. Or make themselves, for that matter.

It’s no surprise that the Islington resident quoted in last week’s Gazette piece sounded less than enthusiastic about the prospect of putting on a shindig. Islington’s councillors might be dismayed about the lack of party spirit but I would suggest that holding off on the parties this time round might be a good idea. When Charles and Diana got married, there were fancy dress parties and all sorts held across the borough, and look how their marriage ended up. All of that jelly for nothing. This time around, maybe a bit of peace and quiet will do us all some good. It’ll certainly help our lie-ins to go with a swing.