Town centre echoes to sounds of proclamation for Queen
A Staffordshire town centre echoed to the sounds of an address honouring the Queen and kickstarting four days of Jubilee celebrations.
Hednesford was one of many towns across the country and the Commonwealth to hear the official Proclamation, an address honouring 70 years of Queen Elizabeth II as the monarch and her ascension to the throne following her father King George VI's death in 1952.
Rob Plumb, the chairman of Hednesford Royal British Legion, was the man charged with making the proclamation at 2pm at Anglesey Gardens on Market Street in the town centre.
Before a small crowd, which included the Mayor of Hednesford Councillor Kathryn Downs, the former member of 1st Battalion Royal Green Jackets and police officer made the address, ending with a rousing message of "God save the Queen."
It was the first of a day of events in the town, which also included a mixture of street parties and communal events and the lighting of the official Jubilee Beacon at Anglesey Gardens, near to the Mining monument.
Mr Plumb said he was honoured to be able to give the address for a person who had been his commander-in-chief and who he described as elegant and devoted to her duty.
He said: "The importance of this Jubilee is to pay homage to a lady who has given her life to service and whether you are a royalist or not, she does deserve credit for what she has done.
"It's a big honour to be asked to be here today and while I'm a bit petrified, I also know it is a huge privilege to be able to do this as it brings the community together and is very important for me."
As well as the proclamation, other members of the community were invited to have a closer look at the Beacon as it was being put together for the evening's events.
Councillor Downs said the whole day was a great opportunity to celebrate the Queen and also celebrate the volunteers of Hednesford.
She said: "I have been given the real honour of becoming Mayor in a year when such a momentous event is happening and the volunteers have pulled out all the stops to make the town look as spectacular as possible.
"I have the easy job today of opening ceremonies and lighting the beacon and welcoming everyone along to the civic reception, so it's an exciting time to be here."
