Colchester: Britain's oldest recorded town poised to formally become a city

A procession from the Mercury Theatre to the Town Hall will be held from 17:30 GMT

Colchester - long known as Britain's oldest recorded town - will formally become a city later when its mayor is presented with letters patent.

The former Roman settlement was named one of eight towns to be made cities to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

On Wednesday, the parchment letters patent will be presented to the mayor Tim Young.

A procession from the Mercury Theatre to the Town Hall will be held from 17:30 GMT.

The letters patent will be presented to Colchester Mayor Tim Young

From 18:00 there will be a formal robed meeting of Colchester Borough Council during which the royal letters patent will be presented.

Mr Young, Labour mayor, said: "City day is a long time coming, a proud moment for us to celebrate all that makes Colchester what it is, what it was, and what it will continue to be: a fantastic place to live, to work and to visit."

Colchester: A quick guide

Colchester has various claims to fame, including:

• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, the well-known nursery rhyme, was written in the attic of a house in the Dutch Quarter by Jane Taylor in 1806

• It has the remains of the only Roman chariot racing track in the UK

• The oldest-known hot cross bun was baked there for Good Friday in 1807

• In AD60 Queen Boudicca of the Iceni tribe raised a huge army and burned down the Roman towns of Colchester and London before heading north to St Albans and her eventual defeat

• The town gives its name to Colchester native oysters, which, despite the name, are actually harvested from the shallow creeks off nearby Mersea Island

• Three out of four members of Britpop giants Blur hail from the town, while Colchester United are still best remembered for their shock FA Cup win over Don Revie's Leeds United in 1971

David King, the council's Liberal Democrat leader, said: "Becoming a city will further raise that national profile. It will deliver a major boost to the local economy.

"It will create even greater social opportunities, and it will promote our rich heritage and culture."

The commemorations were postponed in September because of the Queen's death.

The council promised there would be community festivals and exhibitions in 2023.

Colchester's rise to city status follows two other Essex towns getting the accolade this century - Southend-on-Sea was presented with its letters patent earlier this year, while Chelmsford was granted city status in 2012 for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.