ON the evening of the Queen’s 90th Birthday, shortly after a beacon was lit at Windsor Castle, a large crowd of all ages gathered in the playground of Morchard Bishop Primary School to watch the lighting of a beacon on top of St Mary’s Church tower.

The Union flag was already flying from another corner of the tower, and just before the beacon was lit by Dennis Cann and Bob Robinson, the church bells rang out across the village.

This beacon was one of nearly 1,000 official beacons lit across the country celebrating Her Majesty’s birthday.

Although chilly the weather stayed dry any many people drank a loyal toast to Her Majesty in the open air.

The beacon lighters did a fine job and the beacon could still be seen blazing in the early hours of the following morning.

Karin Moffett