Published Thursday 26 May 2022 at 14:14
A Jubilee beacon will be lit at Darwen Tower to mark the Queen’s 70-year reign on the evening of Thursday, June 2nd.
The beacon is one of thousands being lit in the UK and the Commonwealth and forms part of the official programme announced by Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Weekend.
As part of the event, Jubilee Tower – which has undergone vital restoration works – will also be lit in red, white and blue.
Blackburn with Darwen Council has supported Darwen Scouts in arranging the event for residents.
Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know about the event:
Timings
1pm: Proclamation by Town Crier in Darwen Market Square
8:30pm: Blackburn with Darwen’s Running Mayor to leave Darwen Market Square with lantern lit earlier in the evening by Darwen’s oldest resident, Eva Carter, 103
Route to take him up Borough Road to Belgrave Road and on to the moors
8:45pm: Edie Turner, 8, to receive the lantern and walk it to the Tower. Edie has walked to Darwen Tower every day in May raising £3,000 for families in the Ukraine.
9pm: Tower to be lit in blue, white and red and music to start
9:10pm: Andy and Edie to arrive at Tower with lantern
9:20pm: Cormac Thompson to perform Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’
9:35pm: Janet Pearce to be invited to light the beacon
9.38pm: Piper
9.40pm: Proclamation by Town Crier
9.43pm: Fanfare on Cornets played by Darwen Brass Band
9.45pm: Lighting of the Jubilee Beacon by Janet Pearce
9.45pm: Singing of the National Anthem with Darwen Brass Band and raising of Union Flag on top of tower.
9.50pm: Darwen Brass Band to perform Queen’s favourites
* Please note, these are a guide and could be subject to change
Need to know
As this is an evening event, it will be dark once the beacon is lit.
Here’s some top tips to help keep you and your loved ones safe:
- Please stick to the paths
Marshalls will be on the routes to the Tower from Bold Venture Park, Sunnyhurst Woods and Tockholes. Please stick to the main paths while walking to and from the Tower and keep a close eye on children.
- Bring a battery-powered torch
As well as the torch you may have on your phone, it’d be useful to bring a battery-powered one… as well as a flag, of course!
- Respect the countryside
It’s really important that you do not bring barbecues, sparklers, fireworks or anything with a naked flame on to the moors and be sure to take any rubbish home with you.
We’ve also been asked to remind you to not feed the farm animals on the moors – this can be dangerous for them.
- Wear suitable footwear
Please leave your flip-flops at home and wear sturdy footwear. The paths are often uneven and may be difficult to navigate – especially in the dark.
- Keep your eye on the weather
We all know that the weather in Darwen can be ‘changeable’ and that rain is often likely. In the event of bad weather and as a very last resort, the event may need to be cancelled at short notice. Follow Blackburn with Darwen Council on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.
Watch from home
For those who are unable to make it to the Tower or would prefer to watch from home, the event will be live-streamed on the Council’s Facebook page.
This is being done be Darwen-based Retinair.
Be sure to follow the Council’s page now for all of the latest updates on the live-streaming.
Beacon lighting competition
A resident will light the Jubilee beacon at the event.
The winner of the competition will be announced this week.
What are the Jubilee Beacons?
The Jubilee Beacons is one of the official events of the Platinum Jubilee in 2022 as part of an extended bank holiday, from Thursday 2nd to Sunday 5th June.
The Jubilee Beacons will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territories and the Commonwealth, to come together to celebrate this historic milestone.
The four days of celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflection on The Queen’s 70 years of service.
Take a look at our Jubilee What’s On Guide for the borough here.
This will be the first time a British monarch has marked a Platinum Jubilee, 70 years as Sovereign.
In September 2015, The Queen overtook Queen Victoria as the longest reigning monarch.
Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster of The Queen’s Jubilee Platinum Beacons said:
Building on a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark significant royal celebrations, thousands of beacons will be lit across the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.
They will enable local communities to join together to pay tribute to Her Majesty as part of the official programme of events.
For the first time, town criers, pipers, buglets and choirs from the UK and the Commonwealth will come together to join in the celebrations in their own individual and special way.
It is wonderful to see the range of support for beacon lighting, which will highlight both the diversity and unity of the nation and the Commonwealth.
The Queen has lit up our lives for 70 years through her dedicated service and commitment. We would like to light up the nation and the Commonwealth in her honour.