Rugby's ready to celebrate the King's coronation

The crown planter next to the statue of William Webb Ellis on Dunchurch Road has received a royal refresh to mark the coronation, courtesy of a community project spearheaded by Rugby Art Gallery and Museum.

Residents were invited to share memories of past royal celebrations, with the contributions inspiring the design created by artistic duo Liv and Lauren, of Pickle Illustration.

The artwork celebrates the spirit of community which royal milestones help to spread, from street parties to sharing a slice of cake and a cup of tea with neighbours.

Next week Rugby Art Gallery and Museum launches the Coronation Crown Trail, offering visitors the chance to explore the town centre in search of crowns.

A host of charities, clubs and community organisations have created unique crowns to mark the coronation, with each crown on display at a different town centre business.

Maps for the free Coronation Crown Trail must be picked up from Rugby Visitor Centre before visitors begin the quest to track down all the crowns.

The crown trail runs from next Friday (28 April) to Monday 15 May.

Rugby Art Gallery and Museum offers a right royal AR adventure next week when the King's Wardrobe rolls into town.

The free augmented reality trail encourages visitors to explore the venue to find the QR codes which tell the story of Sir Lawrence the Lion's dilemma in deciding what to wear for his coronation.

Once all ten QR codes have been found and scanned, visitors can download the children's book which inspired the trail to discover how Sir Lawrence resolves his wardrobe worries. 

The King's Wardrobe opens on Tuesday (25 April) and closes on Saturday 20 May.

The Art Gallery and Museum's coronation celebrations also include workshops on Monday 1 May, where visitors can create a mosaic crown tile out of clay. 

Workshops run from 10am to 11am and 11.15am to 12.15pm. Places, priced £3 per child, can be booked at www.ragm.co.uk

Rugby's community has been invited to come together in Caldecott Park on Saturday 6 May to watch the coronation of King Charles III on a giant screen.

The free event gives residents the chance to celebrate the coronation, bring a picnic and enjoy free children's entertainment.

The King's Coronation Celebration starts at 10am and closes at 5pm.

Tom Kittendorf, Rugby Borough Council's chief officer for leisure and wellbeing, said: "The coronation offers communities the chance to come together in a spirit of celebration, from the Coronation Crown Trail in the town centre, to the picnic in the park where residents can watch the coronation service broadcast live from Westminster Abbey.

"We have focused on offering family-friendly events and activities to ensure Rugby can share the experience of the King's coronation and celebrate the historic moment together."

The coronation celebrations have been funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.