Platinum Jubilee: Beacons light up Manx skies to mark Queen's reign

Beacons have illuminated the skies across the Isle of Man as part of community celebrations of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

They were set aflame on Thursday by local authorities, community groups and charities in Ballasalla, Douglas, Port Erin and on Slieau Lhost.

The tributes were held in conjunction with others across the British Isles to mark the Queen's 70-year-reign.

Jubilee services and parties are set be held over the special holiday weekend.

The RNLI organised the lighting of the beacon in Port Erin, which was one of seven lifeboat stations across Wales, Northern Ireland, England and Scotland selected to mark the Jubilee in this way.

Volunteers Tom Mooney and Michelle Farrar said it was a "great honour" for the village's station to be chosen by the charity.

Mr Mooney said the beacon looked "impressive", adding it was "nice to be chosen and have the turnout and the support, because without the support we cannot do what we do".

Girlguiding Isle of Man lit one of the two beacons in ceremonies held in Douglas.

Karen Walker, the island's girlguiding commissioner, said the Platinum Jubilee was "a momentous occasion, very special, one-off, you will never see it again so it is very important to us all".

The organisation's island president Clare Christian said: "I joined the brownies in the year she was crowned, so it is nice to have a seventy year guiding history as well, and the royal family have always been much involved with guiding."

Major of Douglas Janet Thommeny said she was proud the newly-created city was joining in with other capital's across the Commonwealth in marking the occasion.

"It is showing our respect to Her Majesty The Queen as Lord of Mann," she added.

Elsewhere, Civil Defence staff hiked up Slieau Lhost to set up an LED display, and the island's Young Farmers Federation lit a beacon in Ballasalla.

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