Shall we dance? A royal occasion as islanders celebrate liberation around the parishes

This year it was decided that individual parishes would be responsible for their own parties, rather than having the usual celebrations centred in Town.

Eight parishes put on events, ranging in scale and size, all visited by hundreds of people embracing the hot weather and the buzzing atmosphere island-wide.

The Earl and Countess of Wessex arrived early afternoon from Jersey, where they spent the morning, and headed for the Specsavers Tea Dance at Beau Sejour, and then to Castle Cornet, chatting amiably to islanders all the way.

The cavalcade did a five-hour round trip of Guernsey, appealing to families choosing to stay and watch the spectacle from their homes.

Many people were also seen stationed with picnic chairs and blankets in more obscure locations, hoping to catch the best sighting of the 102-strong cavalcade.

Cavalcade director Jeff Vidamour said he loved seeing so many people watching from the roadside.

‘It’s been a very successful day,’ he said.

Watch: The cavalcade was greeted by big crowds as it set off on its island-wide tour

Unlike last year, it stayed on schedule, completed close to 5pm.

‘It works very well, the amount of people we have seen on the route who are so pleased that we are doing this again. We were still seeing people along the route near the end,’ said Mr Vidamour.

Some 350 people were part of the cavalcade, which was organised by the Guernsey Military Vehicle Group, exhibiting military motorcycles, trucks, tractors and classic cars.

Dietician Clare Morris-McCarthey moved to Guernsey at the weekend and was blown away by the beauty of L’Eree beach, where she was celebrating her first Liberation Day.

‘It’s just lovely. We come from the middle of the UK where there was no sea or anything, so to be here is great.

'We love Guernsey,’ she said.

She is living with her wife and two children, and was being shown the island by her uncle and aunt who live locally.

She said the cavalcade had been a memorable part of her day.

Watch: Chloe Presland visited several of the parish celebrations to gauge the mood across the island

The St Andrew’s party was another crowd-pleaser in what may have been the busiest parish of the day.

Constable Martin Thwaite said the parish always does well to show islanders a good time.

‘We have got a lot of practice. For a lot of people it is the alternative, people used to come up from Town after things down there finished.

'It’s been even busier this year because the cavalcade came around earlier,’ he said.

Auditor Ellis Solway was there for the second year in a row.

‘I have had a great time – I’ve had some bean jar and a Breda.

‘I got here and thought how lovely it all was, it feels like a lovely Guernsey tradition,’ she said.

• Find our full Liberation Day coverage in Tuesday's paper