YESTERDAYS Right royal celebration fo

SOME 40 years ago, not only did Star Wars – A New Hope debut but it was also the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

Celebrations began in February, when her accession to the throne on the death of her father was commemorated in church services.

The Queen spent that anniversary weekend with her family at Windsor but the full Silver Jubilee celebrations waited until summer.

Picture the scene, it was 1977 – bunting was hung and cakes were baked, as South Wales basked in time-honoured fashion.

Parties lined the streets for the Silver Jubilee with communities young and old joining together.

In May both Houses of Parliament presented loyal addresses to the Queen and the keynote of her reply was the unity of the nation. During the summer months the Queen toured and met as many of her people as possible.

Her six tours in the UK and Northern Ireland covered 36 counties.

Official overseas visits were also made and during the year it was estimated the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh travelled 56,000 miles.

National celebrations came to a head in early June 1977 and on June 6 the Queen lit a bonfire beacon at Windsor which started a chain of beacons across the country.

The following day, street parties and village parties were held all over the nation.

Later in June, the Queen offically visited Cardiff, pictures of which will be featured at a later date.