Beacon lighting begins celebrations

A trumpet fanfare heralded the start of four days of Platinum Jubilee celebrations in honour of Her Majesty The Queen's 70-year reign as the villagers of Capel-le-Ferne gathered at the Battle of Britain Memorial.

Earlier, local people had met at the village hall before processing to the Memorial with a contingent of Cadets from 99 (Folkestone) ATC Squadron. Many carried torches, candles and Union Flags to add to the spectacle.

The site was busy with scores of people as the community gathered in possibly the first large get-together for many of them since the Covid-19 pandemic. They were able to enjoy the sight of the recently floodlit Christopher Foxley-Norris Memorial Wall, the National Memorial to the Few, the replica Spitfire and Hurricane and the site's other features.

The Trust was proud to host the beacon lighting event on behalf of the village and opened The Scramble Experience, cafe and shop for the evening's celebration. The first-floor cafe, with views across the Channel to France, was particularly busy.

The beacon was lit at 9.45pm, in concert with hundreds of others around the country, by Megan Leonard, a Year 3 pupil at Capel-le-Ferne Primary School, and local store owner Suresh Amin.