Diamond jubilee service and beacon lighting
June 5th, 2012St Francis’ Church celebrated the Queen’s diamond jubilee with a special service on Monday evening, May 4, followed by the lighting of a beacon – one of the many ‘church beacons’ lit around the UK a few minutes after the ‘civic beacons’.
The beacon lit at St Francis' Church.
Earlier in the afternoon there was the showing of a special jubilee DVD in the church hall with tea and cakes.
As the skies darkened with any rain holding off, the congregation filed out of the church at the end of the jubilee service and surrounded the beacon in the church grounds. Local people had been gathering there minutes before to see the lighting of the beacon.
The team rector, the Rev’d Stefanie Hodges, led the countdown to the lighting. Deputy churchwarden Brian Walter lit the special beacon lighter that Stefanie was holding. The gas was turned on and she then lit the beacon. With a ‘whoosh’ flames leapt out and then there was a call to say three cheers for the Queen. It was followed by the singing of God Save the Queen.
Churchwardens Brian Walter and Jackie-Drake Smith, with the Rev'd Stefanie Hodges during the special jubilee service.
Dawn Murrell and Diane Peters.
Some of the congregation at the jubilee service. All pictures by Mike Ellis, Ginger Cat Photography.
