Beacon ceremony for Queen’s 90th birthday

Photo: Gisela Szlatoszlavek

Beacon lit for Queen’s 90th birthday

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Her Majesty The Queen’s 90th Birthday was celebrated by lighting a beacon this evening (Thursday 21 April) at Blackstone Edge in Littleborough, one of the highest vantage points in the borough.

The beacon was one of 1,000 being lit across the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and overseas territories after the Queen lit the principal beacon at Windsor Castle in Berkshire.

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant, Ian Sandiford, and the Mayor of Rochdale, Surinder Biant, got the ceremony under way at 7.30pm and the beacon was lit shortly afterwards.

Mayor Biant said: “The Queen’s 90th birthday is a real landmark in history, and it is a great honour that Rochdale has been chosen to host one of the birthday beacons. The dramatic setting on Blackstone Edge will mean our beacon can be seen for many miles around.”

"This evening really is a significant milestone – Rochdale has been lucky enough to welcome Her Majesty the Queen to the town on more than one occasion during her reign and we all join together this evening in wishing her every health, happiness and a very happy birthday."

As part of the commemoration event, the Army Cadet Force is taking special gas fuelled beacons to the top of the four highest peaks in the UK:

• Ben Nevis – Scotland (1st Battalion Highlanders Army Cadet Force)
• Mount Snowdon – Wales (Clwyd and Gwynedd Army Cadet Force)
• Scafell Pike – England (Cumbria Army Cadet Force)
• Slieve Donard – Northern Ireland (2nd NI Battalion Army Cadet Force)

This June the celebrations continue when Rochdale Town Hall hosts a celebration to mark Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th. Some 175 unsung local heroes nominated by members of the public have been invited to the afternoon tea, where they will be entertained by local artists and groups.