The Beacon alight
One of the highlights of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in the village took place at the top of Garway Hill as the sun went down on Monday 4th July 2012.
As part of a nationwide co-ordinated event, a beacon was lit at 10.15pm, one of many across the length and breadth of the country. The Garway event was organised and funded by Garway Parish Council and the Garway Hill Commoners Association.
The beacon structure was made by blacksmith students at Holme Lacey college and took the form of an open metal basket with a lattice design representing the Crown. This was set atop a stout wooden pole approximately 4 metres high. It was mounted inside the brick structure of the old World War 2 radio tracking station at the summit, which made the beacon visible in a 360 degree arc and also provided a ready-made safety barrier.
The Garway Hill event began at 8.00pm as people began to arrive, climbing the hill from the Sun Lane entrance and other access points. Many brought picnics and for the old and infirm there was a shuttle service of 4x4s run by local volunteers to take then to the summit.
People gathering for the event
The recent weather had been rather unsettled and rather wet and there were fears that the event might be washed out. However, we were lucky to have a fine, if rather cool, evening – not exactly June weather, but just about OK, and the growing numbers of people arriving at the summit were not deterred. From the top of the hill there were clear views of all the local peaks which were expected to host similar beacon events.
As darkness began to fall it was estimated that over 400 people were waiting for the lighting of our beacon and the fireworks which were to follow. Many were local but there was also a large number of visitors, some from as far away as Brazil. There was a convivial atmosphere on the hill as the crowd anticipated the start of the ceremony.
Roger Williams lights the beacon
The honour of lighting the beacon was given to Roger Williams, a long-time local resident and stalwart of the Commoners Association. Splendidly bedecked in a tricorn hat, he was raised up in a safety cage attached to a digger arm at precisely 10.15pm. After some momentary trouble with the lighting torch, the beacon caught fire quickly in a steady breeze and a great cheer went up, followed by the singing of the national anthem.
Looking around to other hills near and far, other beacons were becoming visible and the occasional firework was also seen. This was the cue for the most spectacular part of our event. The firework display was set out in a roped-off enclosure to one side of the summit and slightly below, so everyone had a good view. It was a sensational mixture of air burst and ground effects, full of noise and colour and set to a background of patriotic music. At the end it drew a sustained burst of applause for the pyrotechnicians.
Crowd enjoying the firework display
One of the spectacular airbursts
All agreed it had been a fantastic community event. It took some time for the large crowd to leave the hill, as though many were reluctant to tear themselves away from the happy party atmosphere.
The following day, volunteers cleaned the summit of litter and made sure that the hill could revert to its timeless charm once again.
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