THE Queen will be in Darlington on Wednesday as part of the golden jubilee celebrations.

Her Majesty is due to arrive at the Market Place at 3.40, when the mayor, Coun Isobel Hartley, the mayoress, Lilian Elliot, and Barry Keel, the chief executive of Darlington Borough Council, will be presented by the Lord-Lieutenant, Sir Paul Nicholson, outside St Cuthbert's Church.

The mayor will invite Her Majesty to sign the council's diamond jubilee record book and a commemorative certificate.

The Queen will then be escorted around the perimeter of the square at the Dolphin Centre side to meet the public.

The mayor, accompanied by Mr Keel and the Lord-Lieutenant, will then escort the Queen to the centre of the square, where the mayor will present Coun John Williams, leader of the borough council, and Alasdair MacConachie, chairman of the Darlington Partnership, to Her Majesty.

Youngsters aged between ten and 17 from the Tees Dance Initiative and Darlington Youth Dance will perform.

Two nine- to ten-year-olds from each primary school in Darlington will flank the stage carrying gold balloons and royal purple banners and children from Corporation Road School will read out their particular wishes during the performance. The performers will have an opportunity to meet the Queen.

She will then unveil a commemorative flagstone in the Market Square before being presented with a posy by a pupil from one of the local schools.

Her Majesty will then leave for Teesside Airport where she will join the Duke of Edinburgh following his visit to Stockton.

* Horsemarket and East Row will be closed from 9am-4.30 while Church Row, Church Lane and Feethams, at its junction with Houndgate, will be blocked off from noon-4.30. Permit holders can use the town hall car park between 8am and 3pm but there will then be no vehicle movements until after the royal visit.

In addition there will be no parking for people with disabilities on the Wednesday. The Dolphin Centre will also be closed between noon and 5pm.

* Darlington MP Alan Milburn opens a £4m unit today in honour of the late Queen Mother's family. The Health Secretary will open the Bowes Lyon Unit at Earls House in Durham City in the presence of the Earl of Strathmore, the Queen Mother's nephew, who is representing the Bowes Lyon family.