pooh and the queen to party

Pooh and the Queen for palace bash
Alan Hamilton, London
February 03, 2006

IT will be like finding a golden ticket to Willie Wonka's chocolate factory. But instead of oompaloompas and the horrid Veruca Salt, there will be Bob the Builder, Noddy, Postman Pat, Mr Happy, Mary Poppins, the Big Friendly Giant, Paddington Bear, the White Rabbit and many more, including, of course, Harry Potter.

Winnie-the-Pooh celebrates his 80th birthday this year, and so does the Queen.

To celebrate both her longevity and the worldwide success of British children's literature, the Queen is inviting 2000 children aged between 4 and 14 to a summer party in her own back garden at Buckingham Palace on June 25.

There may not be Wonka chocolate bars, but there will be a picnic created by Jamie Oliver and a 75-minute stage show to be broadcast live on the BBC featuring not only some of the best-known characters from children's fiction, but also the real JKRowling and the real Sophie Dahl, granddaughter of the BFG's creator. The palace press conference was surreal, with Paddington Bear and the Queen of Hearts sitting among sober-suited reporters, all watching a video of Bob the Builder on his mobile phone accepting a contract from the Queen to build a stage for the party.

He's got until June so, unlike most builders, he'd better not disappear for weeks to another job.

For the event, the palace garden will be transformed into a fantasy world featuring characters and scenes from the best-loved children's fiction. A palace official said: "The Queen was keen that her birthday should not be seen as a jubilee, so we have been looking for new and original ways of engaging all ages."

There is a serious purpose behind the celebration: to encourage literacy among children.

Chris Meade, director of Booktrust, said: "We are in a golden age of children's literature, and this seems a fantastic way of putting it in front of children."