THE golden jubilee celebrations have been widely and rightly acclaimed a great success. Whether a modest gathering on the village green or the sound and light extravaganza at Buckingham Palace, we showed the world we know how to mark an anniversary.

Whether all the enthusiasm on display last weekend was entirely focussed on tributes to the Queen (some have suggested it was more a matter of any excuse for a party) is a moot point. And there is no doubt Her Majesty and her staff were somewhat taken aback at the genuine displays of affection in the capital and provinces. It was as if they could not bring themselves to believe that the jubilee could capture the nation's attention the way it did.

In the North-East of course, we had a foretaste of that patriotism at the start of the Queen's regional tours. The crowds, and their fervour, exceeded expectations. The welcome the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh received here set the tone for the rest of the jubilee.

Last weekend's celebrations were a triumph. Although the jubilee year is less than half-way through, it is hard to see anything topping what transpired over the four-day extended holiday. All the organisers of all the events, big and small, around the country deserve our thanks for helping to make it happen.

And the rest of us should congratulate ourselves too, for rediscovering our pride in an institution which has demonstrated its relevance to our everyday existence once more.