Northampton’s Lift Tower turns red, white and blue to kick-off Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations

Northampton Lift Tower will be lit up in red, white and blue to mark the start the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The 418-foot tall illumination is part of a special ceremony staged at Northampton Saints’ ground on Thursday (June 2).

Beacons will also be lit simultaneously in events across Northamptonshire at 9.45pm as part of a national celebration to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne.

A Platinum Jubilee Festival is set for Brackley Rugby Club with other events planned at Towcester Recreation Ground and council offices on Lodge Road, Daventry. The iconic Lift Tower also turned NHS blue to salute key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and lit up to celebrate the 75th anniversary VE Day during 2020.

Northampton will stage a spectacular pageant in the town centre on Saturday (June 4) with participants, including military and emergency services personnel, youth and community groups and businesses parading through the streets.

The pageant begins at the top of Abington Street and head to the Market Square, where a celebration service will take place.

Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, James Saunders Watson, said: “We are proud to be part of this momentous celebration and invite communities to join us in commemorating Her Majesty, The Queen’s 70th year as our Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth on her Platinum Jubilee.

“It is only appropriate that we mark this unique milestone in history with beacons and music and I am pleased that, like Buckingham Palace, we have been able to incorporate innovative virtual events into our celebrations which reflect the Royal Family’s longstanding commitment to environmental causes and sustainability.”