Last week the town council’s Town Project’s Committee debated whether to hold some form of event to mark Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday.

A bonfire, street party, fireworks display and other activities were mentioned by members of the public as they left the meeting and afterwards in the Dunstan Inn.

The suggestion that gained most traction in the council chamber was that of a beacon lit along the coast, but they decided to defer the decision for further discussions.

Marking Royal anniversaries is nothing new with commemorations for milestones in the life of monarch marked for centuries with the Restoration of Charles II in 1660 being the first when mugs and other items were made to mark the event. Of course the present monarch has already notched up 50 years on the throne with her Silver Jubilee marked back in 1977 when street parties were held across Somerset.

Incredibly since 1952 she has seen 12 Prime Ministers starting with Winston Churchill in the early 1950s and then Sir Anthony Eden, Harold Macmillan and Sir Alec Douglas-Home. Through the 1960s there were also the administrations of Harold Wilson and Edward Heath, with James Callaghan in the late 1970s. Margaret Thatcher was one of her longest serving Prime Ministers with John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown following with David Cameron being the latest incumbent.

Now in her 90th year she is Britain’s longest serving head of state have passed Queen Victoria’s record of 63 years in 2015. The woman who has given her name to much of the 19th century has many parallels with Elizabeth – both enjoying exceptionally long reigns and both having good health. Back in 1896 Victoria became the longest serving monarch over-taking her grandfather George III but she decided to hold back celebrations until the following year when she would celebrate 75 years in the job with her Diamond Jubilee.

Early film footage and photography captured some of those celebrations which were not only staged in Britain but around the world as the nation had a global empire at the time.

In Highbridge local historian Robert Thomas has loaned the Weekly News some wonderful photos of how residents marked the occasion. Street parties and processions were the order of the day with pictures also showing how there were street decorations. This and other community celebrations also featured early examples of decorated horse and carts which were to be adopted in carnival processions over the years.

Crown coins to the value of five shillings (25p in new money) were issued to mark the event with close to half a million being struck in silver while the normal crown coin in circulation also carried the same motif of Queen Victoria on horseback on one side and a decoration of flowers on the flip side. Stamps were also issue to mark the occasion along with special mugs and all the paraphernalia that modern Royal events generate.

In Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea back in 1897 nobody of course could watch the official ceremony and procession in London on television. However footage does exist of the huge procession that marked not just the jubilee but a glorification of the British Empire with troops and dignitaries from around the world taking part. The Queen’s celebration this year focus on the private grounds of Windsor Castle in the evenings of May 12-15 where there is a programme of music, song, dance and equestrian displays. Each evening the event will be attended by a member of The Royal Family, with HM The Queen attending on the final evening.

No doubt there will be events organised in Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea this May but there probably won’t be crowds of school girls in pinafores, women in Empire length gowns and men sporting boaters and bowler hats.

How do you think we should mark the Queen’s 90th birthday? Do you remember her previous anniversaries? Send your thoughts, memories and photos to harry.mottram@nqsw.co.uk