Platinum Jubilee

Wellington Town Council and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee

Coin presentations

All children attending schools in Wellington were presented with a coin to commemorate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. This coin was designed and minted especially for this occasion and features the official Platinum Jubilee logo on one side and the Wellington crest on the reverse. Almost 3000 coins were presented by Mayor Mark Lithgow and Deputy Mayor Nancy Powell-Brace to the following schools:

 

Wellesley Park Primary School
St John’s Primary School
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Primary School
Beech Grove Primary School
Rockwell Green Primary School
Court Fields School
Wellington School

 

Our remaining coins were gifted to community leaders within Wellington to thank them for the work they do to make the town a better place.

Queen’s Green Canopy

Somerset West and Taunton Council worked with Transition Town Wellington to plant a tree in Fox’s Field for the Queen’s Green Canopy project. Wellington Town Council planted a tree in Hoyles Road and worked alongside Wellington in Bloom to plant trees in our newly acquired Westford Field. We will work to plant more trees for the Green Canopy when the planting season resumes this autumn.

Thursday 2nd June

Thursday was the beginning of Platinum Jubilee celebrations worldwide. In Wellington, our Town Crier Andrew Norris undertook his first official engagement by reading a proclamation provided by Buckingham Palace. This proclamation was read out by town criers all around the UK and the Commonwealth at 2pm BST. Mayor Mark Lithgow was present for this auspicious occasion.

 

Our beacon was lit on Hilly Head at 9:45pm BST in conjunction with beacons around the Commonwealth. We went for a different approach for our beacon and decided to beam red, white and blue spotlights into the sky instead of lighting a traditional bonfire or brazier. The lighting was preceded by music composed especially for the event from local piper Roy McCubbin and a bugle call by Kirk Shepherd. Over 250 people attended the lighting on a beautiful June evening.

Friday 3rd June

On Friday 3rd June we encouraged local residents to take part in the British tradition of holding street parties. Several streets throughout town took part and have kindly shared their photos with us.

Saturday 4th June

Our Platinum Jubilee Street Fair was a fun-filled day for all the family attended by over 3,500 people across the day. We had over 40 stalls in High Street and South Street selling goods including plants, artwork, jewellery, woodworks, handmade crafts, and fresh produce. Entertainment was provided by local groups including Skintight Samba, Avtar Indian Dance, Madi Smith, Wellington Silver Band, A to Z of Swing, Reminiscence Learning, Raquel and Bob, The Ukes of Wellington, and the Wellington Majorettes. We also had amazing street performers provided by FUSE Performance Ltd. We were lucky enough to catch a flypast from the RAF Red Arrows on the day to the delight of all who were there. Town Councillors were available to answer questions at the Wellington Town Council gazebo where we showcased the work we have done over the past year. After the May elections we welcomed five new Councillors onto our Town Council and they were available on the day to meet members of the community and answer questions. As well as speaking directly to Councillors, people were encouraged to leave suggestions for us to look at in future.

 

We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this street fair possible.

 

Thank you to: Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Traffic Management Team who were instrumental in helping us manage the road closure for the day. Bristol Ambulance for providing excellent first aid cover and Steve and Gordon Hawker for managing the PA and sound system ensuring that our entertainment needs were well looked after.

Sunday 5th June

Wellington Town Council organised a Service of Thanksgiving on Sunday morning. This service was attended by our Mayor Mark Lithgow who invited the leaders of many community groups and services in recognition of their hard work. Rebecca Pow, MP for Taunton Deane was also in attendance.

 

In the afternoon, the Friends of Wellington Park organised a picnic in the park with music provided by Taunton Concert Band. Odette’s Tearoom served cream teas while Churches Together provided children’s entertainment. FUSE Performance Ltd held a circus workshop complete with daring fire juggling. Over 500 people were undeterred by the weather and came, umbrellas in hand, to enjoy the final event for the Platinum Jubilee weekend.

EVENTS AT A GLANCE

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Wellington is a small market town in rural Somerset, England, situated near Taunton in the Taunton Deane district, close to the border of Devon and the Blackdown Hills.

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