Cathedral rings out for the Jubilee

Landaff Cathedral Bells will ring out at 11.30am on Friday 3rd June to join the national celebration of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. This is at the same time as the National Service at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Church bells will be ringing across the country at this time and over the holiday period. The 12 bells of Llandaff will ring out to celebrate along with the bellringers and the Cathedral to mark the occasion.

On 2 June 1953, millions of households, communities and churches across the UK and the world were celebrating the coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For those who were there at this historic moment, like Christine Judd (nee Bartle-Jenkins), the celebrations across the nation are fondly remembered.

A child's reminiscence of the Queen's Coronation

Christine was a toddler living in Monmouth at this time where her father was an Anglican vicar to the parish community who were mostly tenants of the Roll Royce Estate or local farmers. Here she reflects on she will never forget this remarkable day:

I vividly recall my father hiring a very ancient TV and setting it up in the Church Hall at Llangattock Vibon - Avel in order that we could view this momentous occasion. The homemade buntings were flying high! The ladies were fussing, and the men were trying their best to open the Barrels as quickly and clumsily as they could. Most locals contributed by supplying homemade pies, apple tarts and we children were handed Smarties and Spangles, Fry's Chocolate Creams and Cadbury treats. The main attraction were the barrels of Scrumpy! This was the first time I had ever seen such delights.

Everything was arranged to perfection. I vaguely remember receiving a pencil and a box of very hard toffee... a gift from the Queen or so I was told. I kept the old tin box for years and years as I thought the picture of the Queen was so beautiful.

I was still fascinated with the barrels of apple scrumpy and guessed these were a very important part of the festivity...... I was reminded several times that the cider had been brewing since the previous harvest. Of course, we youngsters were still certainly not even allowed a sniff.

However, or so it seemed to me as an innocent child, there was something most strange about the scrumpy, as nearly all the older folk were up dancing and seemingly acting strangely.

At that point, the last words I dimly recall were those of my father, “Okay boys it's already very late so it's best to get the children home safely... we can always have more scrumpy at another time. So let's make a final toast and give a final prayer for Her Majesty and clear up in the morning”

I'll never forget this amazing experience as long as I live!

Thank You and Bless You, Your Royal Highness.

"There was a tremendous sense of community and patriotism."

Sir Norman Lloyd Edwards has a lifelong connection to the Queen from his position as Lord Lieutenant of South Glamorgan. Sir Norman shares his experience of the celebrations of the new Queen:

In February 1952 I was in my second year at Bristol University. On the announcement we all wore black ties (open necked shirts were not allowed) and the shop windows were draped in black and purple with photographs of the late King.

June 1953 was much more exciting. Lectures had finished and we were awaiting the result of our final examinations. I therefore went to my home in Troedyrhiw the Coronation. The set was quite small with a screen of about 8 by 6 inches and everything was in blue and white. Even so, many relatives and friends crowded into our living room to watch the great occasion.

During the next few days many events took place: Street parties, a Fancy Dress Parade and later the village mounted a pageant in the Church Hall featuring the major persons of the Elizabeth 1 reign, such as Francis Drake; As my mother had ginger hair, she was the Queen and recited the Tilbury speech - "I have the body of a weak woman, but I have the heart of a King". My father was Lord Burghley. An uncle played Bishop Morgan presenting the first Welsh Bible, etc. It was capped by two chaps walking on stage dressed as Mountaineers representing Edmund Hilary and Tensing who had just conquered Everest. It was a huge success. There was a tremendous sense of community and patriotism.

70 years on churches from across the Diocese of Llandaff are unpacking the bunting to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee: