Picture gallery: Patients young and old enjoy jubilee tea party at Norwich hospital

Patients young and old enjoyed a special high tea as the Norfolk and Norfolk University Hospital joined the jubilee celebrations.

The Serco catering teams served high tea on the wards at 2pm today, with fresh fruit scones, fresh cream and preserves, and a decorated jubilee cake for each ward, served by staff wearing jubilee hats from specially decorated tea trolleys.

Among those taking part in the celebrations were children on the Buxton Ward, as well as staff, carers and patients on Elsing Ward, which looks after elderly patients.

Elsing Ward sister Zena Aldridge said staff and friends of the ward had baked and bought cakes so that family visitors and carers could also join the party, which saw everyone singing 1940s and 1950s songs.

She said: 'It's an excuse for a good old-fashioned knees up and it was particularly special for the client group we look after as many of them have seen the whole of this Queen's reign.

'People like myself have only seen a small part of it, but for them it has been a huge part of the whole of their life and they have been brought up with the Queen and the monarchy.

'We don't remember the times prior to the current Queen and it's been nice to hear their stories and memories of the Coronation.'

Two of the jubilee television programmes were shown free of charge to patients to ensure they could join in and babies born on Saturday, June 2, on the Midwifery Led Birthing Unit were also presented with hats and booties knitted by staff.

The hospital chaplaincy team held a service on Sunday, followed by another today, where the 10.30am service from St Paul's Cathedral was broadcast on the big-screen television in the chapel.