MORE than 300 villagers gathered together for Chiddingfolds’ Beacon on the Green to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Mounted by the village ‘bonfire boys’, it was one of 900 lit across the UK and overseas and followed a long unbroken tradition in the village of lighting beacons to mark landmark royal events.

“It was a fantastic evening,” said Chidddingfold Bonfire Committee chairman Simon Manuel.

“We asked 12-year-old Charlie Payne to light it, because he was 12 the same day. We all sang the national anthem and happy birthday.

“The parish council asked us to provide a beacon to make sure the village tradition continued.”