A POPULAR festival is set to be revived after it was cancelled last year due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

Hamlet Court Road In Harmony will run on Sunday, May 21, from 11am to 3pm.

The road will be closed to traffic and will feature a stage, 35 stalls from local businesses and charities, and activities for families.

Thousands of revellers attended the inaugural event in September 2021 and the second festival was due to take place 12 months later.

However, it was cancelled due to the death of Her Majesty, before organisers were left devastated by the death in November of Josephine Melville who was a key member of the committee organising the music artists, producing the stage, and introducing the acts on the day.

Matt King, chairman of Milton Community Partnership and treasurer for the committee, said “We are really excited to be running the festival again in May.

“After so many challenges, it is great to see the event coming to fruition and we look forward to Hamlet Court Road being as full and vibrant as it was with the first event. Thank you to all of our partners and funders for supporting us this year.”

The committee are determined to continue with the festival in honour of Josephine as part of her legacy in Southend.

Events organiser Lorraine Faccini, from The Rumbling Tum café on Hamlet Court Road, has agreed to help with the production and the stage will be hosted by Thobile, who was a close friend of Josephine’s.

Kay Mitchell, chairman of the Hamlet Court Road in Harmony Committee, said: “We were deeply saddened by the untimely death of Jo who was central to the establishment and organisation of the first festival.

“Jo would have wanted us to continue with the festival, helping to make it bigger and better than the first one, so we are doing just that. We look forward to announcing a diverse range of artists soon and are finalising the food, business and charity stalls that will line the road on the day.”