The great and the good mixed with members of the public at the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebration in Salisbury on Tuesday.

Chief Constable Patrick Geenty, Lord Lansdowne, Lord Lieutenant Sarah Troughton and her predecessor John Bush were among the VIPs at the gala event.

As well as all-day entertainment going on in the arena, there were strolling players performing all over Cathedral Close.

One comedian on stilts, wandering around the “royal enclosure” among the tents where the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh were scheduled to visit, spoke to people waiting for the walkabout.

He said: “This is going to be a great sale. Have you been waiting long? This child is for sale. What am I bid?”

The “jousting” tents represented towns across Wiltshire and organisers were free to choose what aspects of their area they wanted to highlight.

Jane Vaughan, community area manager for Calne, said: “We have focused on the people of Calne. We have a project, Calne Views, working with people with learning disabilities and autism telling their stories.”

Also featured were the town’s rich history and historic residents, such as John Pym, the leader of the House of Commons in the run-up to the Civil War; Joseph Priestley, the famous scientist; and General George Patton, who stayed in Heddington during preparations for D-Day.

In the Marlborough area tent, Joanna Peskett and Ben Lythe were drumming up business for the Marlborough Jazz Festival this summer.

Miss Peskett, who the Duke spoke to, said: “He was very charming and, when he was going to leave, he said, ‘I’ll let you get back to your singing’.”

After the royal couple left, many visitors also set off, while others were arriving. Security guards steered the crowds into incoming and outgoing streams.

With the excellent weather, most people were good-natured and willing to go with the flow.

The Queen and Prince Philip continued on their diamond jubilee tour of the West Country.

Yesterday they were due to visit Yeovil and Crewkerne in Somerset and Exeter in Devon.