Swadlincote park to host Queen's Jubilee beacon lighting event in June

Swadlincote's Eureka Park will host one of the beacons to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee - with others lined up to be lit on a castle and a hilltop tower in Derbyshire.

To mark the Queen's 70 years on the throne, people are being called on to "light up the UK and Commonwealth" to mark the occasion with thousands of beacons at 9.45pm on Thursday, June 2.

More than 1,500 beacons are to be lit throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories, and one in each of the capital cities of Commonwealth countries.

Among the Derbyshire beacon sites are Solomon's Temple in Buxton, Long Eaton Town Hall, Ilkeston Market Place as well as Eureka Park.

A spokesperson for South Derbyshire District Council confirmed: "The main Jubilee beacon lighting event will be at Eureka Park.

"There will also be a smaller localised one at Rosliston Forestry Centre."

Meanwhile, plans are also being made for a beacon on Riber Castle in Matlock.

Councils are involved in the lighting beacons either by hosting ceremonies themselves or through the consultation process to ensure safety.

We approached Derbyshire's councils and rounded up the beacon-lighting events which are being held so far, and what you need to know if you would like to host one too.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire County Council said: "There's a long tradition of celebrating royal jubilees, weddings and coronations with the lighting of beacons in Derbyshire and across the United Kingdom, and this will be continued to mark the Platinum Jubilee on Thursday, June 2

"We're organising the lighting of one official beacon in Derbyshire which will be on top of Solomon's Temple Tower (weather / wind speed permitting), on Grin Low Hill near Buxton.

"The event is expected to be open to the public and more details will be released nearer the time.

"We will be lighting a gas powered beacon on top of the Solomons Temple Tower. We'll be guided by national timescales and sunset times.

"Other county beacon sites arranged by other organisations and groups may be announced nearer the time, including on private land."

Organisations planning to light a beacon are being encouraged to follow the national guidance for The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacons.

What you need to know if you would like to arrange an official beacon ceremony, as published by The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Beacons:

Step 1: To confirm your involvement and make important communication as easy as possible please register your involvement, providing the information below, direct to [email protected] as soon as possible please, but no later than June 1, 2022.

If your event is open to the public, your contact details will be shared with the media so that they can contact you directly to arrange any publicity and/or coverage of your event.

These are the details you need to provide:

Name and Job Title of Contact/Coordinator

Name of Council or Organisation

Name of Piper, if applicable

Name of Bugler or Cornet Player, if applicable

Name of Town Crier, if applicable

Name and location of Choir to be registered direct to: www.commonwealthresounds.com Postal address including county and postcode

Name of capital city – Commonwealth countries only

Country – ie England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territory, Commonwealth Country

Telephone number – landline

Mobile number

Email address

Beacon location

If arranging a private event, ensure you have undertaken all the legal essentials and safety requirements, including alerting the emergency services.

Step 2: Invite your Lord Lieutenant, Deputy Lieutenant, Lord Mayor, High Sheriff, High Steward, Lord Provost, Chairman or Leader of the Council to light your beacon at 9.45pm. Alternatively, you may like to organise a competition in partnership with your local media, with the winner having the honour of lighting the beacon

Step 3: You might consider having professional photographs taken during your event. Immediately after, please send no more than two high quality, copyright-free photographs to [email protected], including the name of the photographer, the beacon location, county, country and postcode, along with the name of the council or organisation

Step 4: If appropriate, use social media channels – Twitter, Facebook etc – to promote your event. On Facebook, post photographs of your beacon lighting ceremony

Step 5: Publicise your event. We will provide you with a Press Release template which you can localise, providing as much information as you wish regarding your event, but including your contact details. You can send this to your local media to enable them to get in touch with you directly

A two-metre high official Platinum Jubilee beacon, with a burner head in the shape of a globe, surrounded by a crown, can be ordered for your ceremonies for £490.

There are also instructions for how to build a beacon brazier, a metal cage on top of a long timber post; as well as instructions for a bonfire beacon.

For more information click HERE.