THE full timeline of events for the Darwen lighting of the Platinum Jubilee beacon has been announced.

The beacon will be lit at renovated Darwen Tower to mark the Queen’s 70-year reign on the evening of Thursday, June 2.

The beacon is one of the thousands being lit in the UK and the Commonwealth and forms part of the official programme announced by Buckingham Palace for the Jubilee Weekend.

Lighting the beacon is Janet Pearce, founder of Keep Darwen Tidy, and a lantern is being taken from the town centre after being lit by Darwen’s oldest resident, Eva Carter, 103.

As part of the event, Jubilee Tower – which has undergone vital restoration works – will also be lit in red, white and blue.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has supported Darwen Scouts in arranging the event for residents.

Here’s a quick guide to everything you need to know about the Darwen Tower Platinum Jubilee Beacon lighting:

  • At 1pm, a proclamation will be made by the Town Crier in Darwen Market Square.
  • The evening event will start at 8.30pm when Blackburn with Darwen’s Running Mayor will leave Darwen Market Square with the lantern, lit earlier in the evening by Eva Carter
  • The route will take him up Borough Road to Belgrave Road and onto the moors
  • At 8:45pm, Edie Turner, aged eight, will receive the lantern and walk it to the Tower. Edie has walked to Darwen Tower every day in May raising £3,000 for families in the Ukraine.
  • The ceremony will be starting at 9pm when the tower will be lit in blue, white and red and music played.
  • Andy and Edie will arrive at Tower with lantern before Cormac Thompson, who has recently featured on Britain’s Got Talent, will perform Snow Patrol’s ‘Run’.
  • Janet Pearce will then be invited to light the beacon, before a piper will play and a proclamation by the town crier.
  • This will be followed by a fanfare on cornets played by Darwen Brass Band.
  • The official lighting of the Jubilee Beacon by Janet Pearce will take place at 9.45pm
  • Everyone will be invited to sing the National Anthem with Darwen Brass Band and raising of Union Flag on top of tower.
  • The band will then continue to play some of the Queen’s favourite songs.