THOUSANDS of people across Gwent marked the Queen’s 90th birthday weekend with a host of garden parties, street events and picnics.

From Friday, June 10 to Sunday, June 12, the region celebrated the monarch's long and rich life - which has seen her become the longest reigning and oldest monarch in British history.

In Blackwood, one of the Queen’s finest lookalikes was present for a garden party at Asda to raise money for Breast Cancer Care on Saturday.

With the rain holding off, shoppers made use of an outdoor area to take the weight off and have a sip of strawberry tea.

Lucy Brown, 41, who is the community colleague at the store, said it was a great way of marking such a momentous event.

She said: “I was asked to do an event to raise money for Breast Cancer Care. I had to think of something to go with strawberry tea.

“We decided to incorporate it with the Queen’s birthday. It’s absolutely amazing. I’m not much of a royalist myself but I love the celebrations.”

In Torfaen, shopkeepers and volunteers transformed one of Blaenavon’s main shopping streets on Saturday for a right royal knees-up.

Broad Street was closed as a result, with the council providing signs and assistance to the revellers free of charge in tribute to the Queen.

With the full support of the town’s shopkeepers, who helped put up the bunting, there was a flea and craft market, face painting, live music and hot food throughout the day.

Rod Denley-Jones, 63, the village’s deputy mayor who helped organise the event, said the special occasion had brought the community together.

He said: “We have a street full of tables and people and it’s all gone very nicely. The rain has held off, I’m very pleased to say.

“Everybody is delighted that Her Majesty has managed to reach the age of 90 and we hope she has many more years and she can celebrate her 100th birthday.”

A Newport shop hoped to raise £500 for charity after patriotic staff donned the Queen’s colours to mark her 90th birthday weekend.

Staff at Spar at Bassaleg Road have previously raised thousands of pounds for the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty of Children (NSPCC) through a range of fancy dress events, including dressing up as Disney characters and Christmas elves.

This time, workers brought out the bunting and donned blue wigs and Union Jack leggings im honour of the Queen.

Julie Pollock, 51, the manager of the shop and a self-confessed royalist, was keen to combine that royal passion with raising money for charity.

She said: “We do a lot of fundraising anyway so we thought because it’s the Queen’s birthday, we thought we’d go big for it and try to raise money for the NSPCC.

“I’m a big royalist and it’s just an excuse for me to have a go. I’ve got red, white and blue leggings on with the flag.

“The customers love that we do it a lot so it’s become known for us to dress up. The Queen has done great things for the country.”

In Monmouthshire, a special picnic lunch and concert was held in Chepstow to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday on Saturday.

Families and guests from across Chepstow gathered around the bandstand at the Riverfront, which was draped in Union Jack bunting to mark the occasion.

The bands on the bandstand concert was led by the Wyld Bird Seed, who entertained the crowd with an eclectic mix of hits from down through the years.

Among those in attendance was the new town mayor, cllr Paul Pavia, who said it was his first public engagements in the town.

He said: “It’s a real privilege and honour. She’s the longest reigning monarch and to be so active at her age is quite remarkable.

“I think Prince Harry said what would be a fantastic birthday present would be to give her a day off.”

Yesterday, 10,000 people were invited to the Patron's Lunch held along the Mall, in central London in honour of the Queen's big day.

They were treated to a lunch with pimms and a glimpse of a convoy carrying Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh along with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry.