88-505: The Gateshead Millennium Bridge is a pedestrian and cyclist tilt bridge spanning the River Tyne between Gateshead arts quarter on the south bank and Newcastle upon Tyne 's Quayside area on the north bank. It was the first tilting bridge ever to be constructed. Opened for public use in 2001, the award-winning structure was conceived and designed by architectural practice WilkinsonEyre and structural engineering firm Gifford . The bridge
176-724: A commemorative Royal Visit coin in October 2001. The Queen's Birthday and Golden Jubilee Honours 2002 were announced on 3 June. An ecumenical service of thanksgiving for the Golden Jubilee was held on 7 June at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul . The service was attended by the Governor-General Silvia Cartwright and representatives of the government and the New Zealand Defence Force . Members of
264-613: A crossing between new commercial buildings and housing built in Newcastle and cultural and leisure developments in Gateshead. It would also facilitate a 1-mile (1.6 km) circular promenade around the Quayside . Although river-based traffic had decreased by the 21st century, the cities of Gateshead and Newcastle still intended to retain the image of the River Tyne as a working river. The advert for
352-400: A deck which acts as the pedestrian and cycle path, and a supporting arch. The bridge was designed to be as light as possible to allow for easy opening and closing, so the two arches are lighter towards the centre span than at the hinges. The pedestrian and cycle deck is a parabolic shape with a 2.7 metres (8.9 ft) vertical camber. It is divided into two separate paths on different levels for
440-539: A model of the bridge to be built and allowed analysis of buckling forces, wind, and temperature. Another software – Pertmaster Professional – was used for risk and project management and cost analysis. Watson Steel was appointed as the specialist contractor to prefabricate the bridge, and they subcontracted the design of the hydraulic system to Kvaerner Markham. The pre-fabricated sections of the bridge were shot-blasted and painted in Hadrian's Yard, 6.5 km (4.0 miles) from
528-757: A multi-faith Thanksgiving celebration was held on Parliament Hill for about 3,500 people, and the Queen laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier . A state dinner was held that evening at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec , at which Her Majesty said: "[I wish] to express my profound gratitude to all Canadians... for the loyalty, encouragement and support you have given to me over these past 50 years." Canada’s federal government issued medals to mark
616-476: A new contemporary arts centre, the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art , and the need for a footbridge to link the two cities became more apparent. A competition was held by Gateshead Council in 1996 to design a new bridge to link Gateshead to Newcastle, the first opening bridge to be built on the River Tyne in over 100 years. The bridge would form part of the regeneration on both sides of the River Tyne, providing
704-680: A reception for the Queen's birthday at Government House , among other events. The themes for Saint Lucia's Jubilee celebrations included the Commonwealth, celebration, community service, looking forward, looking backward and giving thanks. On June 9, Governor-General Dame Pearlette Louisy led a Service of Celebration at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception to commemorate the Queen's Golden Jubilee. Governor-General Louisy, Prime Minister Kenny Anthony , and several others honored
792-609: A special parade of 6,000 personnel from all three branches of the British Armed Forces . This contrasted with the vastly larger events of past royal jubilees, in that there was no Royal Naval Fleet Review , or large scale Army Review. The Queen's bodyguards paraded together for the first time in their respective histories, when the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms , Yeomen of the Guard and Royal Company of Archers , plus
880-719: A three-day goodwill trip to Liverpool and Manchester , where the Queen opened the 2002 Commonwealth Games . The Queen closed out July by touring the East Midlands , and ended her domestic tour by visiting Lancashire . As part of her Golden Jubilee tour of the United Kingdom, the Queen visited a London Hindu temple, the Manchester Jewish Museum , an Islamic centre in Scunthorpe and a Sikh temple in Leicester, to recognise
968-465: Is how important the monarchy is to Canada and certainly to Alberta." Her Majesty The Queen of Canada has been unfalteringly by our side to celebrate our successes and to help us to grow together. Fifty years after her Accession to the Throne, Elizabeth II remains a symbol of continuity, stability and tradition in a world that is under a barrage of constant change. That is why Canadians are proud to celebrate
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#17328441320371056-504: Is sometimes called the 'Blinking Eye Bridge' or the 'Winking Eye Bridge' due to its shape and its tilting method. The Millennium Bridge stands as the twentieth tallest structure in the city , and is shorter in stature than the neighbouring Tyne Bridge . Gateshead Millennium Bridge is part of a long history of bridges built across the River Tyne, the earliest of which was constructed in the Middle Ages . As quay -based industries grew during
1144-421: Is used at night to attractively illuminate the bridge without causing light pollution, as the cables are too thin to be visible or reflect light at night. The lights shine white during the week and a variety of colours over the weekend. Green and red LEDs are used during the day to alert cyclists and pedestrians to the bridge's opening and closing. Gateshead Council selected Gateshead-based Harbour & General as
1232-612: The BBC TV drama 55 Degrees North and the British 2005 film Goal! . On 17 July 2005, Spencer Tunick used the bridge in an art installation: 1,700 people gathered together nude and were photographed around the Millennium and Tyne Bridges and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The bridge was pictured on a first-class stamp in 2000, and a pound coin depicting the bridge was produced by
1320-628: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 's Toronto headquarters an event marking the organisation's 50th anniversary; there, she viewed exhibits and was amused by a video display showing her earlier tours of Canada in the 1950s. In Moncton, New Brunswick, the Queen and the Duke attended a luncheon in Dieppe to celebrate the town's 50th anniversary and officially opened a new terminal at Greater Moncton International Airport . In Ottawa, on 13 October,
1408-808: The Earl and Countess of Wessex in Salisbury ; and the Princess Royal in Ayr . On the same day, the Welsh National Opera gave a performance in Cardiff Bay. After time on 3 June touring Eton and Slough and watching a parade in Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh returned to London and the former at 1:00 pm launched the nationwide BBC Music Live Festival, in which more than 200 towns and cities across
1496-554: The First World War , addressed her Jamaican parliament , and visited an underprivileged area of Kingston, known as Trenchtown , viewing urban poverty projects while there. The tour ended on a unique note when, at the final banquet in Jamaica, a power outage plunged King's House into darkness during the meal; Elizabeth described the event as "memorable". A number of activities marking the Queen's Golden Jubilee as Queen of New Zealand,
1584-487: The Industrial Revolution and Victorian era due to its accessible port, the area became more prosperous. However, industry declined along the River Tyne following World War II and the quay deteriorated into the 1980s. This prompted regeneration activities in both Newcastle and Gateshead, beginning with the construction of Newcastle Law Courts on the riverbank. In 1995, Gateshead Council devised plans to develop
1672-653: The Queen's Birthday holiday for 2002, services of thanksgiving were held in churches and a bonfire was lit during a party at the Governor-General's residence in Canberra . Throughout the year, events were held across Canada to mark the Golden Jubilee, such as the Jubilee Levée held by Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Lois Hole , which was attended by more than 4,000 Albertans and at which Hole stated: "what we want to realize
1760-654: The Royal Archives at Windsor Castle . For the Queen's goodwill visits, which commenced on 1 May, two to three days were spent in each corner of England; the Queen and the Duke first stopped in Cornwall , Devon , and Somerset before travelling to Tyne and Wear , then finally to Buckinghamshire and Berkshire . On 13 May, the couple were received in Northern Ireland , and visited such areas as County Fermanagh , Cookstown , and Omagh . Then, throughout much of mid-May,
1848-505: The Royal Mint in 2007. Gateshead Millennium Bridge has won a total of 25 awards for design and lighting. For the construction of the bridge, the architect WilkinsonEyre won the 2002 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Stirling Prize . This was a somewhat controversial decision; although the RIBA judges described the bridge as a "truly heroic piece of engineering and construction", there
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#17328441320371936-585: The Vancouver Canucks and San Jose Sharks ; this was the first time any reigning monarch, Canadian or otherwise, had performed the task. In Saskatchewan , the Queen unveilied on the grounds of the provincial parliament the product of the Golden Jubilee Statue Project: a bronze equestrian statue of her riding Burmese , a horse gifted in 1969 to her by the RCMP. In Ontario, the Queen attended at
2024-636: The Yeomen Warders of the Tower of London , the Military Knights of Windsor and In-Pensioners of the Royal Hospital undertook a parade at Buckingham Palace on 5 July. The Queen also hosted a banquet for all of Europe's reigning kings and queens, one for all her incumbent Governors-General , and garden parties at both Buckingham Palace and Holyrood Palace for people born on Accession Day 1952. Around
2112-722: The anarchist Movement Against the Monarchy , were arrested during a protest in the run-up to the Jubilee Weekend. In the Turks and Caicos Islands , a British Overseas Territory , for the first four days of June, celebrations took place throughout the Islands, presided over by Governor Mervyn Jones . The Public Relations Department of the Tourist Board for the Jubilee Committee produced
2200-568: The Commonwealth. In front of more than one million people, the Royal Family assembled on the balcony of the Centre Room of Buckingham Palace and watched a flypast consisting of every type of Royal Air Force aircraft in service (27 in all), Concorde , and the Red Arrows . There was only one publicly noted negative event in relation to the jubilee when approximately 40 activists, mostly drawn from
2288-524: The Duke of Edinburgh arrived in the country on 22 February, just after Prime Minister Helen Clark said in a speech that she felt it "inevitable that New Zealand will become a republic." The royal couple were greeted by the Governor-General and other officials when they disembarked from the Royal Flight; Clark was absent, as she was at a meeting of centre-left leaders in Stockholm , Sweden . A low turn out
2376-662: The Golden Jubilee took place in Jamaica . The Queen's Jubilee tour also coincided with the country's 40th anniversary of independence. She arrived for the celebrations on 18 February 2002, nine days following the death of her sister, Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon ; the Queen established a short period of private, though not state, mourning. Elizabeth was first welcomed in Montego Bay , after which she travelled to Kingston and stayed at her Jamaican prime minister 's residence, Jamaica House. Despite some anti-monarchical sentiment in
2464-456: The Golden Jubilee. Sheila Copps , Minister of Canadian Heritage , 2002 For 12 days in October 2002, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh toured Canada, making stops in Victoria , Vancouver , Winnipeg , Toronto , Hamilton , Hull , Fredericton , Sussex , Moncton , and Ottawa . In Nunavut , the Queen addressed the new legislative assembly , stating in her speech: "I am proud to be
2552-607: The Harbourmaster noted that the piles were not required and they were removed in 2012. This decision was ultimately less expensive than maintaining them. Gateshead Millennium Bridge has retained its status as a significant local landmark and tourist attraction, not only built to develop the local area but also to establish local pride. It is one of several cultural landmarks on Gateshead Quays, including Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Sage Gateshead . It opens periodically for sightseers and for major events such as The Boat Race of
2640-527: The Jubilee Souvenir Brochure, with text and images covering historical Royal Visits provided by the National Museum; only 5,000 were produced, issue number 1 being given to Queen Elizabeth II herself. The museum also provided photographs for the production of three sets of stamps, and, for the Jubilee Weekend, prepared a temporary exhibition on royal visits, with other items from the past, such as
2728-725: The Land of the Unexpected —painted by Jeffry Feeger, depicts the Queen in Papua New Guinean traditional regalia. The painting was sent to Papua New Guinean High Commission in London, where it is on permanent display. The Golden Jubilee festivities in Saint Lucia started in February 2002 and continued until February 2003. The year-long commemoration featured a military tattoo on Mindoo Phillip Park and
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2816-684: The North and the Cutty Sark Tall Ships' Race . The bridge also lights up to mark celebrations or dedications. For example, it was lit blue on 4 July 2020 as part of the 'Light it Blue' campaign celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the NHS and its contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic . It was also lit green in April 2020 in recognition of social care workers. The bridge has been featured in film and on TV including
2904-628: The Queen during the ceremony. The government of Saint Lucia announced in its 2002 Throne Speech that to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee in a significant national way, it had declared the year the "Jubilee Year of the Arts". Two main events were held that year: the National Arts Festival and Awards and the observance of the twentieth anniversary of the National Festival of Lights. Celebrations for Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee took place throughout
2992-647: The Queen rode in the Gold State Coach . The procession to the cathedral began with a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park and 700,000 people lined the streets to watch the royal family on their way to the service. The thanksgiving service was followed by lunch at the Guildhall . There the Queen addressed the crowd and expressed pride at the Commonwealth 's achievements, both during her reign as queen and throughout time; Elizabeth
3080-496: The Queen's 50 years as Head of the Commonwealth ; the work now hangs at Marlborough House , with a study kept as part of the Queen's collection at St James's Palace . British artist Lucian Freud had also presented the Queen with a portrait of her wearing a diamond crown at Buckingham Palace, which was commissioned by the Royal Household and later displaced at the exhibition Royal Treasures: A Golden Jubilee Celebration . At
3168-577: The Queen's Golden Jubilee, a fine arts exhibition, entitled 20 Portraits and other Works , was held in Papua New Guinea in June 2002. Artists were asked to display a portrait of the Queen, specially made for the exhibition. The winning portrait by painter Laben John was presented as a gift to the Queen by Jean Kekedo , Papua New Guinean High Commissioner to the UK, on 16 July 2002. The runner-up portrait— Her Majesty in
3256-451: The Queen's first visit to New Zealand as Sovereign in 1953–54, and subsequent royal visits, took place in New Zealand. "Queen Elizabeth II has been Queen of New Zealand for fifty years and is held in warm regard by New Zealanders. It is fitting that we honour her on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee", said Prime Minister Helen Clark . NZ Post issued a set of Golden Jubilee and Royal Visit stamps. The Reserve Bank of New Zealand issued
3344-544: The Queen's golden EIIR cypher on the giant screen atop the beer advertisement: ' I am Canadian '. The crowd went hysterical." Prince Philip and I have a unique opportunity to see and hear about these ways in which you are meeting the challenge of giving every Jamaican a stake in the future during our short visit in this year which marks both Jamaica's fortieth anniversary of Independence and my Golden Jubilee. Such anniversaries are important. Elizabeth II of Jamaica , 2002 Elizabeth's first official engagements related to
3432-585: The Queen's reign over the last 50 years. I was just three weeks old at the time of her coronation and as a schoolboy in Durham during the 1960s, I remember seeing the Queen for the first time. It is a privilege now to serve her as her 10th Prime Minister—her first, as she reminded me in May 1997, was Winston Churchill, who was her Prime Minister before I was born. In the many meetings that I have had with Her Majesty since 1997, I have, time and again, as have my predecessors, had reason to be grateful to her for her wisdom, good sense and experience, which she always brings to
3520-506: The Saturday, the Prom at the Palace took place in the Buckingham Palace Garden and highlighted classical music ; out of the two million who applied for tickets, 12,500 people were selected to attend, making the event the largest ever held on the royal property. The crowds were entertained by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Symphony Chorus , conducted by Sir Andrew Davis , and guest vocalists included Kiri Te Kanawa , Thomas Allen , Angela Gheorghiu , and Roberto Alagna . Earlier in
3608-440: The United Kingdom and across the Commonwealth will not simply be an occasion to be nostalgic about the past. I believe that, young or old, we have as much to look forward to with confidence and hope as we have to look back on with pride". As Queen of Australia, under your constitution, and as Head of the Commonwealth, I look forward to the coming few days here. I look around tonight and I am aware both of my responsibilities, and of
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3696-436: The United Kingdom between May and July 2002. In the lead-up to those festive weeks, the British media— The Guardian , in particular—predicted that the jubilee would be a failure, arguing that Britain was no longer interested in the monarchy; a pervading sense of apathy amongst the populace seemed to confirm this. However, the predictions were proven wrong, especially during the official jubilee weekend, when people numbering in
3784-562: The United Kingdom publicly played the Beatles song " All You Need Is Love ". During the day, street parties were held around the country, and that evening, the Queen, the Duke, and other members of the immediate Royal Family , made themselves present at another concert on the grounds of Buckingham Palace; this fête, called Party at the Palace , showcased achievements in pop music over the previous 50 years, with headlining acts including Paul McCartney , Eric Clapton , Cliff Richard , and Tony Bennett . Queen guitarist Brian May commenced
3872-584: The Whole Community', 'Looking Forward as Well as Back', and 'Commonwealth'. In her Golden Jubilee message, the Queen said that "this anniversary is for us an occasion to acknowledge with gratitude the loyalty and support which we have received from so many people since I came to the Throne in 1952. It is especially an opportunity to thank all those of you who help others in your own local communities through public or voluntary service. I would like to think that your work will be particularly recognised during this Jubilee year. I hope also that this time of celebration in
3960-493: The anniversary of the queen’s rule 2002. They were awarded to several thousand Canadians for significant contributions and achievements. It was argued in retrospective analysis that the jubilee had been of benefit both to nationalism and the monarchy; The Globe and Mail said: "When she daintily bent over to drop a puck at an NHL game... she achieved perhaps the most brilliant melding of symbolism in Canadian history... The Jumbotron in Vancouver's GM Place said it all, flashing
4048-417: The bridge during this manoeuvre has led to it being nicknamed the "Blinking Eye Bridge", and has solidified its reputation as being not only a functional piece of infrastructure but a spectacle in and of itself. The rotation of the bridge is also used as a self-cleaning mechanism, as rubbish collected on the deck rolls towards traps built at each end. A lighting system designed by Jonathan Spiers and Associates
4136-422: The bridge leaf. Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as monarch and an opportunity for her to officially and personally thank her people for their loyalty. Despite
4224-440: The bridge received the Outstanding Structure Award from the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering . Tilt bridge A tilt bridge is a type of moveable bridge which rotates about fixed endpoints rather than lifting or bending, as with a drawbridge . The tilting Gateshead Millennium Bridge spanning the River Tyne between Gateshead on the south bank and Newcastle upon Tyne , England, on
4312-406: The bridge would be open in September 2000, but it was not completed until September the following year. The first tilt took place on 28 June 2001 to 36,000 onlookers. It was opened to the public on 17 September 2001 to a crowd of thousands. The barrier lifted at 2 pm to allow the first public crossing, and the first people to cross received a commemorative medal gift from the Council. The bridge
4400-423: The bridge". Between February and June 2000, the unsightly nature of the piles also caught the attention of the public, with multiple news articles and letters expressing discontent. Complaints pointed out that the Millennium Bridge in London did not have similar piles, and that a Newcastle University boat race had to be moved specifically to avoid potential collision with the piles. Over time, Gateshead Council and
4488-410: The bridge's final position. The entire structure was assembled by first welding together the nine arch sections and deck sections, and then attaching the cables to the arch and deck. Protective paintwork (Interzone 505 and Interthane 990 from International Protective Coatings ) was applied to the arch before it was erected. The bridge was lifted into place in one piece by the Asian Hercules II , one of
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#17328441320374576-414: The celebrations in the UK with a speech to both houses of the British parliament at Westminster Hall on 30 April, marking the fifth time in five decades that Elizabeth II addressed her British parliament on her own account. The Queen spoke of 50 unforgettable years and the changes to British life and society in that time, and elaborated that the monarchy must change also; Elizabeth said she had "witnessed
4664-464: The competition was published in the New Civil Engineer magazine with the brief "We are looking for design teams who can create a stunning, but practical, river level crossing which fits this historic setting, opens for shipping and is good enough to win Millennium Commission funding." There were over 150 entries and Gateshead residents voted for their favourite out of a shortlist of six architectural teams. WilkinsonEyre and Gifford and Partners claimed
4752-437: The concert, while an additional one million people thronged The Mall to watch and listen to the festivities on giant television screens and join in with the palace audience's singing from outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, and a further 200 million watched the televised event around the world. On 4 June, the entire royal family and 2,400 guests attended a national service of thanksgiving at St Paul's Cathedral , to which
4840-459: The country at the time, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were "enthusiastically welcomed" by Jamaicans; 57% of those polled said the visit was important to the country and large crowds turned out to see Elizabeth, though there were small protests by Rastafarians seeking reparations for slavery and their repatriation to Africa. The Queen received an official welcome at King's House , the Governor-General 's residence, met with Jamaican veterans of
4928-424: The country, street parties were organised, for which some 40,000 toolkits were distributed. The Golden Jubilee Poetry competition was held for children aged from 7 to 18 which invited the children to submit a poem about how the United Kingdom changed over the last 50 years. The winner was invited to Buckingham Palace to receive a specially commissioned medal from the Queen. All entries were preserved for posterity in
5016-512: The country. She was on 27 February received in Adelaide by the Governor-General , Peter Hollingworth ; the Australian viceroy, at the time, was in the midst of controversy involving allegations of child abuse cover-ups in the Anglican Church and demonstrators were present when the Queen and Prince Philip landed. The royal couple undertook a five-day tour through South Australia and Queensland , which also coincided with that year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Coolum Beach . On
5104-419: The day, Cardiff Bay hosted performances by Europe and the UK's street theatre artists and a gala was held at Belfast City Hall . The following day, the Queen and her husband attended a church service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle , while their family were present at thanksgiving services elsewhere in the United Kingdom; the Prince of Wales and his sons, Princes William and Harry , in Swansea ;
5192-518: The deaths of her sister, Princess Margaret , and her mother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother , in February and March 2002 respectively, and predictions in the media that the anniversary would be a non-event, the jubilee was marked with large-scale and popular events throughout London in June of the same year, bookended by events throughout the Commonwealth realms . Elizabeth attended all of the official celebrations as scheduled, along with her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh ; over twelve months,
5280-408: The different modes of transport, separated by a stainless steel "hedge" with seating areas and steps interspersed throughout. The supporting arch is also a parabola, designed in such a way as to match the shape of the Tyne Bridge upstream. The two arches are joined together by 18 suspension cables which provide stability for people crossing the bridge. Six hydraulic rams (three on each side) tilt
5368-497: The end of the month, however, the Queen was dealt another blow when her mother died on 30 March; the Commonwealth realms observed a period of mourning, and on 9 April, the day of her funeral, more than one million people filled the area outside Westminster Abbey and along the 23-mile (37 km) route from central London to the Queen Mother's final resting place beside her husband and younger daughter in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle . We all have our personal memories of
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#17328441320375456-463: The entire 850,000 kg bridge as a single structure, meaning that when the supporting arch lowers, the pedestrian deck rises to create 25 metres (82 ft) of clearance for river traffic to pass underneath. The bridge takes around four minutes to rotate through the full 40° from closed to open, moving as fast as 18 mm (0.71 inches) per second. The design is so energy-efficient that, in April 2017, it cost just £3.96 per opening. The appearance of
5544-478: The event by playing his arrangement of " God Save the Queen " from the roof of the palace, and Paul McCartney concluded the night with such numbers as " While My Guitar Gently Weeps " and " Hey Jude ", which were each performed before and after the Queen lit the National Beacon at the Victoria Memorial , the last in a string of 2,006 beacons to be lit in a chain throughout the world, echoing Queen Victoria 's own Golden Jubilee in 1887. 12,000 guests were allowed into
5632-442: The first member of the Canadian Royal Family to be greeted in Canada's newest territory." In the British Columbia Parliament Buildings , the Queen unveiled a stained glass window commemorating the Golden Jubilee. In Vancouver, on 6 October, the Queen, accompanied by Wayne Gretzky , and in front of a crowd of 18,000 at General Motors Place , dropped the ceremonial first puck for the National Hockey League exhibition game between
5720-409: The growth of religious and cultural diversity across the country. Other members of the royal family visited a Jain temple, a Zoroastrian thanksgiving service and a Buddhist gathering during the Jubilee year. The Golden Jubilee Weekend took place between 1 and 4 June 2002 in London, for which the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh left Scotland on 29 May to make final preparations. On the first evening,
5808-488: The hundreds of thousands turned out to participate in the fêtes. These festivities culminated in the 4 June event on The Mall in London, when over one million attended the parade and flypast. It was on 3 March that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh returned to London from Australia. Eight days later, on Commonwealth Day , the Commonwealth Secretariat unveiled at Buckingham Palace a portrait of Elizabeth, painted by Chinwe Chukwuogo-Roy that had been commissioned to mark
5896-403: The issues of the day. Tony Blair , Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 2002 Plans for the Golden Jubilee in the United Kingdom went ahead as planned, and, after a dinner hosted by Tony Blair at 10 Downing Street for her and all her living former British Prime Ministers (Sir John Major , Margaret Thatcher , Sir Edward Heath , and James Callaghan ), the Queen officially launched
5984-400: The jubilee weekend in London, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh on 7 June toured West Sussex , spent three days in Wales , touring Anglesey , Llanelli , and Cardiff . The next month, the royal couple made two-day trips to the West Midlands , Yorkshire (where the Queen visited the set of the soap opera Emmerdale ), and the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk , as well as undertaking
6072-458: The last two months, now I have the chance to express my gratitude to the people of the North East." Gateshead Millennium Bridge was constructed to fulfil the following main design constraints: the bridge must be 4.5 metres (15 ft) above river-level during high spring tides when closed; nothing must be built on the Gateshead Quayside ; the deck must have no more than a 1:20 slope to allow disabled access. The bridge consists of two steel arches –
6160-429: The main contractor for the construction of the bridge. Harbour and General then selected over 12 sub-contractors to cover elements of construction including control systems, metalwork, lighting, and piling and river work. Consulting engineering group Ramboll provided further engineering, construction, and contract management services. The bridge's structure was modelled in LUSAS using 3D elements. LUSAS modelling allowed
6248-435: The name of the bridge was still undecided. The original proposed name of 'Baltic Millennium Bridge' (in reference to the adjacent Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art on the Gateshead side) was objected to by Newcastle City Council . In response, Gateshead Council decided upon the final name of 'Gateshead Millennium Bridge' in 1998, which caused an ongoing feud between the two councils. Gateshead Council originally announced that
6336-537: The national museum, hosted a major exhibition on the 1953-54 royal visit which opened in May 2003. It is both a privilege and a pleasure to have served as Queen of New Zealand for these fifty years. I thank you all for the loyalty and support you have given to me throughout this time. Following her tour of Jamaica, the Queen next toured New Zealand, making stops in Auckland , Taupō , Christchurch , and Wellington . She and
6424-435: The north is a pedestrian bridge with two large hydraulic rams at each side that tilt the structure back allowing small watercraft to pass under. The pedestrian and cycle pathway is an almost-horizontal curve, suspended above the river from a just-beyond-the-vertical parabolic arch . To raise the bridge, this whole assembly rotates as a single, rigid structure. As the arch tilts lower, the pathway rises, each counterbalancing
6512-642: The other so that a minimum of energy is needed. The resultant appearance in motion leads to it sometimes being called the "eyelid bridge", since its shape is akin to the blinking of an eye if seen from along the river. Two further tilt bridges are known to exist in Belgium , both constructed in 2011: the Scheepsdalebrug [ nl ] (Scheepsdalebridge) in Brugge and the Sint-Annabrug [ nl ] over
6600-470: The parade. In addition to entertainers performing for the Queen, numerous floats were decorated to illustrate British life through the years of Elizabeth's reign and driven through The Mall. The parade concluded with 5,000 adults and children from the 54 member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations marching in their various national costumes before the Queen and presenting to her a "rainbow of wishes", consisting of handwritten notes from school children across
6688-475: The pleasure those responsibilities bring. And in this Golden Jubilee year, I cannot but reflect on the extraordinary opportunity I have been given to serve the people of this great country. The way Australia evolves over the next fifty years is in your hands. Elizabeth II of Australia , 2002 The Royal Australian Mint released commemorative coins to mark the Queen's Golden Jubilee. To mark her Golden Jubilee as Queen of Australia, Queen Elizabeth II toured
6776-670: The prize in February 1997 with Gateshead Councillor Mick Henry remarking that the design was "something very special." By July 1997, a final design was under preparation for submission to the Millennium Commission in order to secure funding. The bridge, which is the world's first tilting bridge , ultimately cost £22 million, with funding from the Millennium Commission, the European Regional Development Fund , English Partnerships , East Gateshead Single Regeneration Budget, and Gateshead Council. By this point,
6864-399: The public were also encouraged to attend. Parliament 's Visitor Centre displayed memorabilia of royal visits of past one hundred years. The Ministry for Culture and Heritage hosted an online exhibition on the 1953-54 visit on its website. New Zealanders were asked to submit the memories of the royal visit exhibition to highlight the importance of royal visits for many people. Te Papa ,
6952-463: The river Dender in Aalst . The former combines the working mechanisms of a rolling lift bascule bridge and a tilt bridge: the bridge is mounted on two lifting arms which roll along racks , positioned parallel to the navigable way, tilting up the bridge leaf providing a clearance for passing ships. The latter is mounted on two lifting arms which are connected to fixed pivot points a few feet downstream from
7040-568: The royal couple journeyed more than 40,000 miles (64,000 km) to the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, then around the United Kingdom, and wrapped up the jubilee year in Canada. Numerous landmarks, parks, buildings, and the like, were also named in honour of the golden jubilee and commemorative medals, stamps, and other symbols were issued. There were six key themes of the Golden Jubilee celebrations: 'Celebration', 'Giving Thanks', 'Service', 'Involving
7128-600: The royal couple were in London devoting much time to the promotion of the arts, attending the Chelsea Flower Show , dedicating the Queen's Gallery at Buckingham Palace, and attending a reception at the Royal Academy of Arts . The jubilee trips recommenced on 23 May with a six-day trip to Scotland ; the royals first stopped in Glasgow , and then travelled on to Edinburgh , Dundee , Stornoway and Aberdeen , and, following
7216-630: The transformation of the international landscape through which [the United Kingdom] must chart its course" and declared her "resolve to continue, with the support of [the Royal Family], to serve the people... to the best of [her] ability through the changing times ahead." Amongst several other events independently organised to celebrate the Jubilee in 2002 were the British Army 's staging at Portsmouth of
7304-431: The world's largest floating cranes , on 20 November 2000. Whilst being transported by the crane, the bridge was rotated 90° in order to navigate narrow bends along the river. It was successfully slotted into threaded bolts in the piers with only 3 mm (0.1 inches) of tolerance. Handrails, seating, and the hydraulic systems were installed after the bridge was in place. The transportation of the bridge took only one day and
7392-424: Was a spectacle, attracting crowds of onlookers. The Port of Tyne Authority required the design of the bridge to incorporate a vessel collision protection system. As a result, two rows of parallel fixed piles, splaying out diagonally on each side of the bridge, were installed. However, it became clear to members of the construction project team and WilkinsonEyre that they were unsightly and undermined "the finesse of
7480-535: Was debate among the attendees of the awards ceremony as to whether it also counted as architecture, with some claiming that it was not a building. However, Jim Eyre of WilkinsonEyre argued that the feat did cross over into the boundary of architecture. WilkinsonEyre and Gifford also won the 2003 IStructE Supreme Award . The bridge was awarded the British Constructional Steelwork Association's Structural Steel Design Award in 2002. In 2005,
7568-475: Was dedicated by Queen Elizabeth II on 7 May 2002, during her Golden Jubilee tour. A commemorative plaque unveiled by the Queen reads: "Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Opened by Her Majesty The Queen on 7th May 2002." Before a formal dinner at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, the Queen said "Today I see the tangible signs of the determination of all those within this region to create a new future. There have been so many personal acts of kindness, especially over
7656-598: Was quoted as saying: "Gratitude, respect and pride, these words sum up how I feel about the people of this country and the Commonwealth—and what this Golden Jubilee means to me." Then the jubilee parade, which included 20,000 participants, started along The Mall in the early afternoon. Veterans, volunteers, members of the ambulance service, the Automobile Association and the British Red Cross took part in
7744-574: Was reported to see the Queen when she arrived at the airport, while an estimated 4,000 people came to view the Queen in Auckland. During the tour, the Queen met the world's first transsexual MP Georgina Beyer . The Queen was presented with a gift from the government and people of New Zealand of the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography and the New Zealand Historical Atlas. To commemorate
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