Communities come together to celebrate Queen's Platinum Jubilee

Communities across Caerphilly County Borough came together to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Street parties and events were held over the four-day weekend. Whatever your views on the monarchy, no-one can doubt that getting people together was a positive thing – especially after the pandemic.

Here is a selection of photos sent in to us by readers. We’d love to feature more, so if you have any then please email them to jubilee@caerphilly.observer.

On Saturday June 4, Maesycwmmer Community Centre held its Jubilee event.

Organiser Wendy Howls said: “All activities for children and adults were free and we had fantastic dance demos from Rhythmix Dance Academy and SL Dance Academy. The whole day was amazing from start to finish.

“I would personally like to thank the Maesycwmmer community for their support and thank them for attending.”

Maesycwmmer Community Centre

“We had the weather, we had the crowds, we had the fun,” said Chris Edwards, secretary of the Friends of Cefn Fforest’s Eco Park, which held its Jubilee event on June 3.

The group organised the day with Cefn Fforest Primary School and the community centre committee.

A Jubilee beacon at Caerphilly Council headquarters in Tredomen was lit by the High Sheriff of Gwent Malgwyn Davies on June 2

After months of planning the joint organisers, Cymdeithas Twmbarlwm Society (CTS) and the Risca Community Council, led a team of willing volunteers up to the top of Twmbarlwm to light a commemorative beacon – at a height of 419m it’s the highest peak in south Wales.

The Society said: “We are very grateful to members of the local fire service who provided a
4×4 vehicle and three strong men to transport the beacon and bottles of gas to the top – and bring it all down again. Their willingness to help was exemplary.”

The 1st Abercarn Scouts played a great part in helping guide visitors up the mountain and
more importantly back down again in the dark.

Cedric Mumford has been a member of CTS since its inception and was at the first Twmbarlwm
beacon event for The Queen for her Coronation in 1953.

Cedric was in the Scouts and helped build a bonfire on top of Twmbarlwm. He clearly remembers how someone had to crawl inside the bonfire to light it and how they all watched in awe as other bonfires started to be lit on hill tops as far as the eye could see.

It was an emotional journey for Cedric who travelled from his home in Cardiff to relive those memories from 70 years ago and the society was extremely pleased to welcome him here again.