Millions across the country and around the world will watch Charles III being crowned as King on Saturday morning, but there are also plenty who would rather escape the coronation. So what can you do if you want to avoid the pageantry and ceremonial, the marching bands and the cheering crowds?
Unfortunately the weather forecast for Saturday is not so good – cloudy and wet – so a day out in the countryside to get away from it all might not be the easy and enjoyable alternative that you’d hoped for. "A series of storms will bring unsettled weather across the United Kingdom through the upcoming coronation weekend," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tony Zartman said. But there are other things you can do.
. Join a republican rally on Calton Hill
No doubt if the crowds in central London can put up with a bit of rain, bad weather is not going to deter republicans gathering at Edinburgh’s Calton Hill to share their vision of a different system.
The Our Republic rally at 3pm will hear from Edinburgh East SNP MP Tommy Sheppard, Green MSPs Maggie Chapman and Lorna Slater and independent Edinburgh councillor Ross McKenzie, as well as speakers from Ungagged, the Radical Independence Campaign and the Scottish Socialist Youth.
Our Republic have been collecting signatures for a declaration calling for an independent Scottish republic. And they describe the coronation as a £250 million special day for Charles “to show off his gold-trimmed pomp and extravagance to a public struggling with a cost of living crisis – at their expense”. Photo: Ian Georgeson
. Take part in the May Day march
The Edinburgh and Lothians May Day march takes place on Saturday, assembling at Johnston Terrace at 11.30am and moving off at midday.The marchers will arrive at the Pleasance around 12.30pm, where there will be stalls and, at 1pm, a rally upstairs in the Pleasance Theatre. And in the evening the action switched to the Leith Dockers Club in Academy Street where there will be music from Calum Baird and others from 7pm, organised by the Unison Lothian Health branch. Photo: Richie Veitch
5. Enjoy music at Edinburgh Tradfest
This weekend also marks the end of the Edinburgh Tradfest, which celebrates traditional music from Scotland and around the world.
Saturday’s programme includes Cajun and Appalachian music with Dirk and Amelia Powell at the Traverse Theatre from 1pm till 2.30pm; World Play a Strathspey Day at the Traverse from 3pm to 4pm; and Tradfest Ceilidh House from 7pm until 9.30pm at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Photo: Alan Harvey
6. Go to the cinema
If you don’t want to watch the coronation coverage and it’s too wet to go for a walk or join in any other outdoor events, you could always go to the cinema and see a film. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is the latest blockbuster. It has been hailed as “the best Marvel movie in years” and is on widespread release. Photo: unknown
7. Choose another channel
But if you can’t stir yourself from the sofa, you could just use the TV zapper to switch to one of the channels not covering Charles III’s big day. The coronation is being screened wall-to-wall on BBC 1, BBC 2 and STV. But at the height of the events in London, Channel 4 will be showing Frasier and on Channel 5 there’s The Adventures of Paddington. Photo: Studiocanal/Nickelodeon