Arabic version: مشّيعون في سوانزي يجتمعون لإحياء ذكرى بوني تايلر

According to The Guardian, mourners lined the streets of Swansea as Bonnie Tyler’s coffin arrived at Swansea Minster for a service celebrating the singer’s life. The white coffin was covered in bouquets of white roses, and those gathered applauded after calls of “God bless you Bonnie” and “bye Bonnie”.

Tyler’s songs, including If I Sing You a Love Song and It’s a Heartache, played before the private service. People outside watched the service on a screen in nearby St David’s Square. Mourners began arriving from 7.30am for the noon service, with some travelling from Germany and Austria.

The singer, born Gaynor Hopkins, died aged 75 in July in hospital in Portugal after a period of ill health. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Robert Sullivan. Tyler divided her time between Mumbles, overlooking Swansea Bay, and the Algarve.

Several people who attended said they had met Tyler or knew her personally. Allyson Thomas described her as “so down to earth and a star at the same time”, while Bill Cash said the singer “never forgot where she came from and she was proud of where she’s from”.

Tyler grew up in Skewen and achieved international fame in 1983 when Total Eclipse of the Heart reached the top of the charts in the UK and US. Her other hits included Holding Out for a Hero and It’s a Heartache. After the service, her hearse was due to make its final journey to Skewen.