ROYAL wedding fever will hit Dursley in the form of a free street party next weekend.

On Saturday, May 19, actress Meghan Markle will marry Prince Harry, and thanks to a voluntary group, Dursley will celebrate the wedding with a free party in the centre of the town, a party that is long overdue.

Tom Arnold, of Festive Dursley, a voluntary group set up two years ago to provide ongoing fundraising events throughout the year, said: “The last street party for a member of the Royal family was the Queen's Jubilee celebrations in 1977, so Festive Dursley has decided to put on a street party for the local community.”

The party, which organisers expect to be attended by around 200 people, is set to begin at 11am at the town hall on Market Place in Dursley, and preparations for the day are already underway.

The town hall will be turned into a street party venue, with free hot drinks and soft drinks available, sandwiches, and scones with clotted cream and jam, and entertainment will be in the form of a face painter, stalls and children’s activities.

Tables and chairs will also line Parsonage Street, with the town hall decorated with union jack bunting and flags, plus a big screen televising the event live – and it’s all been achieved with help from the community.

Mandy Woodward, chairman of Festive Dursley, said: “Organising this event has been tough, as we wanted to give a totally free event to the community, but with help from local businesses and a crowdfunding page set up, we’re hoping to succeed in raising £300 to pay for the food and decorations.”

To add to the excitement, the street party will also be filmed by local company Global TV UK, who will be live streaming the event on the internet via Festive Dursley’s Facebook page.

The event is expected to finish at 4pm.