It's estimated that over 1000 churches and cathedrals celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee over the Jubilee weekend. Churches were at the heart of the community celebrations in our own diocese through song, dance, and cake.
In its own way, the weather during the bank holiday celebrations was as patriotically British as it could be, with spells of sunshine, rain, and even hail in some parts of the country. But in true British spirit, celebrations marking the Queen's 70 years on the throne carried on regardless.
Beacons were lit at prominent venues including Lambeth Palace, Derby, Lichfield and Chester Cathedrals, and in the local parishes, people came together to chat, enjoy great food, drink, and raise a glass to Her Majesty.
From the smiling faces found in the posts on Facebook and Twitter it is evident that people from across all generations had a good time. Below is a handful of photos from the four corners (almost) of the Diocese of Chester.
The Revd Peter Bennett, Curate at All Saints, St Andrew’s and St Peter’s in Crewe reflected on their celebrations: "It was such a joyful time of celebration. On Friday, we joined in with the whole local community in the park – a real old-fashioned day out with stalls, a stage. In our toddler and baby groups, we had special activities, games, and loads of cake. And we were all together Sunday afternoon in church, young and old sharing food and laughter and just the opportunity to be together, something that we’d missed so much through the lockdowns and social distancing. There was a real sense of God’s presence in healing, peace, and joy. And, as you can see from the picture, we didn’t miss the chance to dress up!"
From top left to bottom right the pictures are from:
All Saints' Church, Hale Barns with Ringway
St. James', Ince
St Andrew's Church, Crewe
St Chad's, Handforth
The photo at the top of the page is from Daresbury Church