Oyez Oyez Oyez, the borough cries out to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee by lighting a beacon

On Thursday 2 June the Borough of Havant will begin the celebrations along with other regions of the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and UK Overseas Territories for The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Deputy Mayor and now newly appointed Town Crier for the borough Councillor Rosy Raines will kick off the proceedings by donning her outfit and taking to the streets of Havant Town Centre to cry out the official Proclamation at 2pm.

Crying out the official wording, Rosy will be announcing the honour of this unique occasion that beacons will be lit in the evening throughout the land – with Hayling Island being the borough’s chosen venue.

The lighting of the beacon ceremony will then take place from 9:30pm at the COPP memorial on Hayling Seafront. A lone piper will begin the proceedings by playing ‘Dui Regnare’ on the bagpipes, before the two-meter-high beacon is ignited at 9:45pm by guest of honour the Mayor of Havant, Councillor Diana Patrick.

The beacon will be one of over 2,022 lit by communities throughout the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, UK Overseas Territories and the Commonwealth Countries. Choirs will also sing ‘A Life Lived with Grace’ as a ‘unique’ musical tribute to Her Majesty The Queen.

Singing out for the borough will be Hayling Musical Society and Hayling Young Stars who will help to fill the world with the sound of music and song in celebration.

Havant Borough Council's Cabinet Lead for Affordable Housing, Communities and CIL, Councillor Gwen Robinson, said; “We are honoured to be part of this special event for Her Majesty, The Queen’s 70th year as our Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth on her Platinum Jubilee.”

Councillor Clare Satchwell, Cabinet Lead for Planning, Hayling Seafront Strategy and Coastal Management (Coastal Partners) and ward councillor, who has lead a group of volunteers to organise this event, added: “We are proud to be part of this momentous celebration. It is only appropriate that this unique milestone in history is marked with beacons and music.”

Free parking will be available, but limited to Chichester Avenue car park, so please travel by foot or public transport wherever possible.

More information on what’s happening across the borough for the Jubilee weekend can be found on our website.

Timeline for Beacon lightings throughout the nation:

  • At 2pm hundreds of town criers and 50 Pearly Kings and Queens will announce a specially-written Proclamation heralding the lighting of the beacons later that day.
  • At 9.35pm local time across the UK and Commonwealth, traditional and 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.
  • At 9.40pm buglers linked to local beacon lightings across the UK and the capital cities of the Commonwealth will officially announce the lighting of the beacons with a specially written bugle call, entitled Majesty.
  • Then at 9.45pm exactly local time, and to coincide with the lighting of the beacons, community choirs across all nations will sing Song for the Commonwealth, which has been written and composed by Lucy Keily, from Australia and Vincent Atueyi Chinemelu from Nigeria.