A PARISH council and local community groups have collaborated in organising the lighting of Platinum Jubilee Beacons and associated activities on Thursday, June 2 in Heddon on the Wall.

Conceived and organised by Bruno Peek, LVO OBE OPR, Pageantmaster, the event will see thousands of town criers, Pearly Kings and Queens, pipers, buglers and choirs performing, before the lighting of 2,022 beacons on Thursday, June 2. Beacons across Hadrian's Wall will be lit at 10pm, at The Three Tuns in Heddon on the Wall.

Heddon on the Wall Parish Council is taking part in lighting the beacon at The Three Tuns.

Bruno said: "Building on a long tradition of lighting beacons to mark significant royal celebrations, more than 2,000 Jubilee Beacons will be lit across the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK overseas territories and within the Commonwealth countries on the first evening of the four-day Jubilee Weekend, on Thursday, June 2.

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"The Beacons will enable local communities to join together and pay tribute to Her Majesty as part of the official programme of events."

At 2pm, hundreds of town criers and 50 Pearly Kings and Queens will announce a specially written proclamation heralding the lighting of the beacons. 

At 9.35pm, traditional pipers, including Northumbrian pipers and pipe bands will play 'Diu Regnare', a unique tune specially written for the occasion by Piper Major, Stuart Liddell, the world's leading piper.

Then at 9.40pm, buglers will officially announce the lighting of the beacons with a specially written bugle call, titled 'Majesty'.

At 9.45pm, community choirs across all nations involved will sing a song called 'A Life Lived with Grace', written and composed by Lucy Keily, from Australia, and Vincent Atueyi Chinemelu, from Nigeria. Beacons will be lit across the UK at 9.45pm, and at Hadrian's Wall at 10pm.

Bruno added: "For the first time, town criers, pipers, buglers 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 the 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."