Binsted parish celebrated the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in style on the evening of June 2.

A sell-out celebration saw the Binsted community come together to kick-start the historic weekend marking the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.

For one day only, Binsted had its own town crier proclaiming the parish’s lighting of a beacon as part of the Commonwealth-wide symbol of national togetherness.

From 5pm Binsted Recreation Ground, resplendent in Union Jack bunting, hosted a variety of family fun activities such as croquet, giant hungry hippos, an inflatable obstacle course, rounders, tug of war and egg-and-spoon races.

Picnickers enjoyed beautiful evening sunshine while devouring their hog roast buns, while children and the young at heart took pleasure in eating giant sticks of candy floss and having their faces transformed with colourful decorative face paints.

As the sun started to set, the official beacon lighting ceremony began with a call to order from the town crier.

Grabbing everyone’s attention, the bugler heralded the lighting of the beacon bonfire with a call specially created for the event entitled Majesty, followed by a solo soprano who performed a beautiful rendition of the official A Song For The Commonwealth.

The beacon bonfire burned impressively and the flames looked stunning against the darkening sky.

Onlookers were then wowed by a spectacular display of fireworks, beautifully framed by the clear sky, moon and stars, with a quintessentially British soundtrack of God Save The Queen, Rule Britannia and Land Of Hope And Glory.

A spokesperson for the organisers said: “On behalf of the Binsted fete and Jubilee team and Binsted Parish Council, we would like to thank Dennis Smith, Ron Neil, Jo Weeks and Julian Eckersley, without whom this event would not have been so special.”