Paintbrushes and mops have been out in force as Colchester spruces itself up for the royal visit.
Regular maintenance work has been bought forward and the painters and decorators called in at venues the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will be visiting.
The prime location was the town hall, where the royal party are having lunch.
Jo Hughes, Colchester Council's business development manager, said: "A prestigious venue like the town hall needs to be regularly maintained to meet our customers expectations. With this in mind, we give a lick of paint to those areas that need it every year.
"We have repainted one or two rooms a little earlier than we had planned in preparation for the royal visit, and some minor works have been carried out."
The Queen is also due to visit Essex University to unveil a commemorative plaque marking the institution's 40th birthday.
A university spokesman said the royal visit had provided "a good excuse to tidy the place up".
More in today's Evening Gazette
Published Thursday, November 25, 2004
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