Today we mark the 50th anniversary of HRH Prince Charles’ visit to Swansea in 1969, shortly after his investiture as Prince of Wales, where he proclaimed that Swansea was to become a city. The city charter was signed some 6 months later on December 10th and the Prince made a return visit in a ceremony at the Brangwyn Hall.
The Prince of Wales returns to Swansea today, with the Duchess of Cornwall, to help us celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary, and it is an honour to be part of the official reception marking the occasion.
Following the Royal visit, I’ll make my way to the Cwmfelin Club where service users of St John’s Day Service will be having their own celebrations for the city’s anniversary.
These continue into the weekend as the city once again hosts the Wales Airshow. This year there will be an additional, special celebratory evening show. The Airshow increases in popularity year on year, with over 250,000 people enjoying last year’s spectacular aerial displays and ground shows.
On the Saturday, the Airshow couples up with Armed Forces Day, which is the annual UK acknowledgement of the debt of gratitude the country owes to the men and women of the Army, Navy and RAF who have served – and still serve – in combat zones around the world.
This year’s Armed Forces Day celebrations include a parade to mark the 100th anniversary of Arthur Whitten-Brown and John Alcock achieving the first crossing of the Atlantic by aeroplane in less than 72 hours. Both were subsequently knighted for their efforts. Sir Arthur spent the remainder of his life in Swansea as Chief Representative of British Engineering company Metropolitan-Vickers in the Swansea area and chairman of the West Wales branch of the South Wales Institute of Engineering and Technology.
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