Colvend celebrates Platinum Jubilee with a family gala

Colvend and Southwick Community Council combined platinum jubilee celebrations with their family gala.

There were children’s races, a bouncy castle, various stalls, a barbecue and an appearance from Dumfries Town Band.

There was also an art display in the village hall and a tug of war competition between villages.

The celebrations started on Thursday night with a jubilee beacon being lit on the shore at Rockcliffe.

Deputy Lord Lieutenant of the Stewartry, Mark Jardine MBE, and his wife Ruth Jardine, hosted the evening. Ruth played the flute with George Thomas on the trumpet.

Proceedings began with Ruth performing “I vow to thee my country” before Mark welcomed Rockcliffe residents on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen.

A royal trumpet fanfare then introduced Lieutenant Colonel Rody Morris OBE, former Deputy Lieutenant of London, who delivered the proclamation and toast to Her Majesty.

Ruth then performed Jerusalem and the beacon was lit by Mark. Ruth entertained with a set of soul and Latin music as Rockcliffe residents danced on the beach. Her sound engineer for the evening was Dave Miller of South West Audio.

Despite the challenges of the Scottish weather, the event was a huge success and marked a superb start to the celebrations., with video of the evening having been viewed more than 14,000 times to date.