Colchester city ceremony: Refugees will join official procession

11 November 2022

News image — Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded settlement, was one of eight towns to be made a city to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Getty Images Union and Platinum Jubilee flags in Colchester, May 2022 — Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded settlement, was one of eight towns to be made a city to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee

More than 20 Ukrainian and other refugees will wave national flags when they take part in a procession to celebrate the UK's newest city.

Colchester will officially become a city on 23 November when a letters patent, written on parchment paper, will be presented to the mayor.

The parade will start at the Mercury Theatre and end at the Town Hall.

The town was granted city status as part of Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The Mercury Theatre and Jumbo water tower seen through an arch of the Roman wall in Colchester — The Roman wall, believed to date back to AD 50s, can still be found in various parts of Colchester

The commemorations were postponed in September because of the Queen's death.

The Labour mayor Tim Young said: "City day is a long time coming, a proud moment for us to celebrate all that makes Colchester what it is, what it was, and what it will continue to be: a fantastic place to live, to work and to visit."

The procession will begin at 17:30 GMT and the formal robed meeting of full council will start at 18:00.

Getty Images The Queen in Colchester High Street in November 2004 — The Queen visited Colchester in November 2004, when she spent time at the University of Essex to mark its 40th anniversary

AFP via Getty A family of Ukrainian refugees at the Hungarian border — More than 250 Ukrainian refugees have settled in Colchester under the Homes for Ukraine scheme

The council promised there would be community festivals and exhibitions in 2023.

According to the latest Home Office figures, 254 Ukrainian refugees have settled in Colchester under the Homes for Ukraine scheme - more than any other Essex district.

'Warm welcome'

David King, the council's Liberal Democrat leader, said: "We provide a warm welcome for those seeking a safe and supportive place to live, work or visit.

"Becoming a city will further raise that national profile. It will deliver a major boost to the local economy. It will create even greater social opportunities, and it will promote our rich heritage and culture."

Essex, also home to the cities of Southend-on-Sea and Chelmsford, will be one of the few UK counties with three cities, along with Cambridgeshire (Cambridge, Peterborough and Ely), Hampshire (Southampton, Portsmouth and Winchester) and West Midlands (Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton).