MILLIONS of Britons were last night preparing for the biggest Bank Holiday party in a generation.

The combination of England's opening match in the World Cup and the Queen's Golden Jubilee will create an unprecedented atmosphere.

Even the weather should join the party. Plenty of sunshine is forecast, with only the occasional shower to keep revellers on their toes.

Supermarkets and corner shops reported a huge rise in demand for football "essentials" such as cans of beer and bags of crisps. Shops said World Cup fever had led to shortages of England flags, replica shirts and posters.

A spokesman for Safeway said: "People in the North-East have a traditional love of football. All our stores have been inundated."

Rival Tesco has launched what it calls Operation Owen to cope with demand during the World Cup.

In preparation for the weekend, the company says two million bottles of Budweiser beer have been bought, along with 3.5 million cans of Calsberg, 700,000 bottles of Kronenbourg and 1.8 million bottles of wine.

Scores of events are also planned in towns and villages over the four-day bank holiday weekend to mark the Jubilee.

Only half as many people as had been thought are planning to leave the country this weekend.

"The draw of being in Britain this weekend, with the World Cup and the Jubilee celebrations, is quite strong," said a spokeswoman for the Association of British Travel Agents.

Britain's biggest breakdown organisation, the AA, said: "We are expecting North-East coastal resorts to be particularly busy this weekend.

"The country seems to be enjoying a wave of euphoria. People are determined to make the most of the Bank Holiday break."

If you are not a football fan, the best time to travel could be tomorrow morning when millions of people will be glued to the TV for England's opening match against Sweden, which kicks off at 10.30am.

England coach Sven Goran Eriksson was buoyed by the news that all 23 of his squad are fit after Newcastle's Kieron Dyer proved he had recovered from a knee injury.

The World Cup got under way yesterday after a lavish oriental opening ceremony of fireworks, music and dancing in front of 64,640 spectators in Seoul's World Cup Stadium.

The tournament, which brings teams from 32 countries to stadiums in Japan and South Korea, is being held under extraordinary security following the September 11 attacks.

Anti-aircraft missiles and F-16 fighter jets are protecting the skies above stadiums. Thousands of soldiers, snipers, bio-terror and bomb disposal experts and anti-hooligan units are on the ground.

The first game of the tournament served up a shock 1-0 defeat for the favourites. Reigning World and European champions France were beaten by African minnows Senegal.

In London, Royal celebrations are due to kick off this evening with a classical concert in the Queen's garden.

Starring Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, the televised Prom at the Palace is the first public concert staged in the Buckingham Palace grounds.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will attend a Jubilee church service at St George's Chapel, Windsor, tomorrow.

Then on Monday, in Slough, the Queen launches the People's Party, signalling the green light for partying to begin nationwide.

Later a Jubilee pop concert, starring ex-Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, is being staged in the Palace grounds.