ROYALISTS everywhere will be celebrating today as the Queen reaches her 90th birthday.
The landmark will be marked with street parties across south Essex in the coming months, a sure sign of the monarch's popularity in our part of the world.
Crowds have flocked to meet the Queen, or even just to grab a glimpse of her, on her visits to the county during more than half a century on the throne.
Notable royal visits have included the official opening of the Dartford Crossing bridge, named after her, in 1991, and a whistlestop tour of south Essex, including stops in Basildon and Southend, in March 1999.
On that occasion, the Queen visited Basildon at the request of the then rector of St Martin's Church, Lionel Webber, to officially open the distinctive glass and steel bell tower in St Martin's Square.
Angela Smith, now Baroness Smith of Basildon, was the town's MP at the time.
She said: “It was special. It showed respect for Basildon.
"I just enjoyed it. People just wanted to celebrate the Queen’s visit – everyone was happy to see her."
Earlier the same day, the Queen and Prince Philip had landed at Southend Airport, headed to the seafront and met schoolchildren from across the town, before touring South Essex College.
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