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The Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant is one of the biggest live events to ever take place in London. It has taken two years to plan and is costing £10.5m of private money. That sum does not include the cost of policing which falls to the taxpayer but Lord Salisbury, who chairs the team that organised the pageant, is promising "a hell of a show ... to thank the Queen for 60 years' hard labour". Expect to see lots of red, white and blue on bridges and buildings along the river bank and hear church bells, fireworks, music and foghorns. Hundreds of boats from all over the UK will move at a gentle speed of four knots down seven miles of river escorting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh aboard the Royal Barge, the Spirit of Chartwell, which will be richly decorated in red, gold and purple. Boats that are too tall to travel under bridges will be moored at St Katherine Docks and along a mile-long stretch from London Bridge to Wapping known as the Avenue of Sail. The bascules of Tower Bridge will be raised in salute. Safety and security is paramount - 5,500 police and 7,000 stewards will be on duty. About 30,000 people have been security checked. All bridges and riverside roads will be closed to traffic although Lambeth, Westminster and Blackfriars bridges will be open to the public. There are expected to be about one million spectators on the river banks, and millions watching live TV coverage. Transport for London is urging the public to leave their cars at home and use public transport. Boats have been grouped by size and type to avoid collisions. Boat owners and skippers, many of whom are not familiar with the vagaries of the Thames, have been given detailed instructions on how to negotiate the 14 bridges - and advised to refrain from drinking alcohol. A "hard shoulder" will run either side of the flotilla allowing rescue boats to deal with any incidents quickly. The closure of the Thames Barrier will help to stabilise the tide. A family-friendly festival takes part in Battersea Park on the day of the river pageant and giant screens will placed in key locations along the river bank.