Macey & Bond – Blog

The RAF have rehearsed a fly-past over Anglesey for the Diamond Jubilee, although the actual event will be over Windsor Castle.

More than 200 people watched aircraft, including Hawk, Tornado and Hercules, take to the skies at Mona Airfield.

Pilots on Tuesday had to pretend it was the Queen’s residence in Berkshire.

On Saturday, 80 aircraft will take place in the real fly-past, which is part of the celebrations to mark the Queen’s 60-year reign.

RAF Flt Lt Rob Pitt told BBC Wales the pilots taking part were highly skilled, and the level of complexity was very, very high.

It bears testament to the excellent training for combat operations our men and women receive here on Anglesey”

Group Captain Adrian Hill ADCRAF Valley station commander told the BBC: “The Royal Air Force train the absolute best combat fast jet pilots in the world and all of those combat fast jet pilots come through Royal Air Force Valley to do that training,” he added.

“So they’ve been training for this with the commanding officer for quite some time. I think today is going to bear the fruit of those efforts.”

The fly-past will include 60 RAF Tucanos, which are fast jet trainer aircraft from RAF Linton-on-Ouse near York.

RAF squadron leader Albie Fox said: “This is one of the more complex fly-pasts there have been because there are so many aircraft taking part,” he added.

“The level of skill required is unprecedented but highlights the operational capability of the RAF.”

“It is quite complex and it takes a lot of choreography to make sure it happens correctly.”

Group Captain Adrian Hill ADC, station commander RAF Valley, said the Diamond Jubilee flypast was a “tremendous privilege”.

“As the station commander and senior pilot at RAF Valley, I can attest to the extreme complexity and skill required to execute it to the precision timing and positioning required,” he said.

“It bears testament to the excellent training for combat operations our men and women receive here on Anglesey.

“Everyone in the Armed Forces is hugely proud of Her Majesty and the Royal Family, who stand shoulder to shoulder with us on operations, as they have throughout our histories.

“I am honoured to lead Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Flypast and can state with absolute certainty that every pilot, engineer and member of the RAF Valley operations and support staff are extremely proud of the part they have played in making the flypast a success.”

The Duke of Cambridge is based at RAF Valley, where he is a search and rescue helicopter pilot.

A couple from County Down and County Kildare have climbed to the top of Ireland’s holiest mountain, Croagh Patrick, to marry.

And there at 2,507ft (764.1m) they became only the seventh couple to say “I do” in the tiny 107-year-old St Patrick’s Oratory. Continue reading →

Hundreds of people lined the streets of Windsor to see the Queen on a Diamond Jubilee walkabout.

The Queen walked from Windsor Castle to the Guildhall with the Duke of Edinburgh.

The event has been billed as a thank you to the Royal family’s neighbours in the Berkshire town.

The Queen and Prince Philip also met people in the town who are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversaries.

The Queen was initially shown around by the Mayor of Windsor, Councillor Asghar Majeed, and met a line-up of children, who handed her bouquets of flowers.

The Queen also met couples celebrating their diamond wedding anniversaries this year.

David Bosford from Datchet told the bbc: “She asked when our anniversary was. I told her that my wife was also called Elizabeth and was her namesake. She was absolutely charming.”

The last time the Queen, 86, had a Windsor walkabout was for her 80th birthday on 21 April in 2006.

The Diamond Jubilee Pageant, featuring music, dance, military and equestrian displays, is due to be held between 10 and 13 May at Windsor Castle.

It will involve 550 horses and more than 1,000 performers from around the world.

The rate of marriages has risen in the UK has risen by 3.7% since 2010. The Office of National Statistics has released data that shows that marriages have risen to as high as 241,000 over the past three years.

This increase may initially seem as though more and more people are choosing to get married, as it is the largest rise in marriage statistics for over ten years, as civil ceremonies accounted for 68% of weddings, as opposed to 64% at the turn of the century.

Upon looking further into the statistics, the highest number of marriages between men and women were couples aged between 25 and 29, whereas the largest growth of those getting married are men aged between 45 to 49, and women aged between 30 and 34.

However, these statistics are only concerning weddings within the UK itself, and does not take into account marriages of UK citizens that have taken place outside of the UK.

This is an interesting issue to consider, as it is possible that the current economic situation has meant that more couples are choosing to stay and get married within the UK, rather than choose to get married in glamorous settings such as Las Vegas or the Caribbean.

An archdeacon has come out to say that the decision to increase the fees required for church weddings and funerals is the victim of “unfortunate” timing, with fears abounding that people will be even more likely to marry in a registrar’s office as a result.

Members of the Church of England Synod have voted to raise the cost of a church wedding from £296 to £415, over four times the £100 fee for a service in a registry office.

Archdeacon of Loughborough the Ven David Newman said “If people want to have a wedding or funeral in church they will try to seek it out.

“It is unfortunate this decision has come at a difficult economic time.”

He does add that the increases were as a result of churches trying to catch up to fees, stating “Most churches are listed buildings with an enormous upkeep.

“Clergy who are present at funerals and weddings give a lot of time both before and afterwards – it is not just for an hour in church.”

The higher fees now include the cost of lighting and the administration work that goes into a service however there are still other aspects, such as heating and organists, that are not included in the fee.

Income from weddings, baptisms and funerals accounts for £35 million granted to the church every year, of which £15 million is used to pay the clergy.

Rev Lee Francis-Dehqani, vicar of Oakham, concluded “We are very keen that no couple will be priced out of a church wedding.”