A cracking Platinum Jubilee weekend on Dartmoor

Dartmoor has celebrated HRH The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in fine style (just look at the header photograph!). The weather may not have been quite as good as hoped over the weekend itself, but on Thursday and Friday the sun shone. Thursday evening saw the lighting of several thousand beacons across the country, and here in Moretonhampstead the Mardon Commoners prepared a fantastic one for us all to enjoy. We walked up from home on the most beautiful early summer evening: the views over the Dartmoor really are some of the best in the area. I’ve lived on the east side of the moor for forty years now, and still gasp at the beauty of the view from Mardon Down.

(A quick aside: I am recently returned from a weekend in New England USA, visiting friends with my youngest son. Lindy: these are for you! Really great to see you and Steve again: come and visit Dartmoor again soon.)

On top of Mardon a huge beacon awaited us (plus BBQ and beer tent). The whole event was brilliantly organised; and the weather played ball too (giving us a sunset that slightly resembled a UFO just before the beacon was lit!).

The whole event was strangely moving: we drank cider, sang ‘God Save the Queen’, gave three cheers for Her Majesty and counted at least twelve other beacons dotted across the moor and Mid Devon. A wonderful evening all round.
The final word must go to our guerilla knitting and crocheting team, who not only came up with the postbox topper but also fashioned this rather marvellous corgi eating a ice cream.
Good old Moreton: I love it here!