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The official programme of events for the Cayman Islands Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend kicked off this afternoon with the Town Crier bellowing the official proclamation of the beacon lighting and inviting all to attend or tune in to the scheduled events.

The Town Crier is a tie to a time-honoured British tradition and historic relationship between the Cayman Islands and the United Kingdom (UK); Cayman’s official crier for Jubilee events is Mr. Craig Merren, a native of George Town. An authentic Caymanian twist to the proclamation, was the inclusion of conch shell blowing, which added a distinctly local flair to the event. The sounding of conch shells was led by Mr. Deal Ebanks and his daughter Ariane Leigh, which is the Cayman Islands’ long-held way of calling the nation’s attention, harkens back to the Islands’ maritime past when fishermen used conch shells to announce their return from sea.

The reading of the proclamation included the announcement and invitation for the public to witness the Official Beacon Lighting Ceremony, a Jubilee activity taking place around the globe. The official lighting of the beacon will premiere tonight on CIG YouTube, CIGTV and Radio Cayman 89.9FM. The Sister Islands will also host a beacon lighting ceremony preceded by a concert at the Aston Rutty Centre, Cayman Brac. Beacon lighting, like town criers, is a UK tradition and has historically been celebrated to mark Royal Jubilees, coronations and weddings.

The beacon lighting acknowledges Her Majesty The Queen’s long and selfless service, with the lighting of the principal beacon being held at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace. The lighting of Cayman’s beacons mirrors similar lightings taking place in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, and in each of the capitals of Commonwealth countries. The beacons will invite local populations and civic organisations to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen, on the occasion of her 96th birthday (Monday, 6 June), and as part of the official Platinum Jubilee Weekend of festivities.

The Beacon Lighting Ceremony and Concert in Cayman Brac will begin at 7:30 pm at the Aston Rutty Centre.

The beacon lighting in Grand Cayman, will be broadcast at 9:10pm on CIGTV, CIG YouTube and on Radio Cayman 89.9FM (previously recorded at Pedro St. James, Grand Cayman).

To watch the town crier deliver the official proclamation, visit: https://youtu.be/C1L4v0sqVEA For the Official Queen’s Jubilee Calendar of Events, go to www.gov.ky/jubilee.

(GIS)