2nd Reading Boys’ Brigade honour our Patron and Majesty the Queen at the Wittenham Clumps Diamond Jubilee Beacon ;
Most people don’t seem to know where Wittenham clumps is? They are two iron age hill forts - close together, the other side of Wallingford; the highest point in the area, affording fantastic views over Dorchester on Thames towards the Chilterns – and not so great views towards Didcot power station the other way. We arrived in time to climb the hill fort and see the most amazing moon rise – huge and really red , becoming golden orange before it’s normal colour.
They wanted to charge to watch the Beacon being lit, so we decided to build our own Beacon finding some old dry branches & trees – but then we got told off by the estate manager – who turned out to be setting up the Wittenham Clumps beacon – a gas powered effort – just yards from our bonfire – and as scores of people including the Mayoress ? (see the photos) would have been burnt – then fair enough. So we moved the wood round to the East side of the hill and built the 4200 and 1st Beacon. A huge Beacon was lit just outside Wallingford – real Lord of the Rings style – we lit ours – but despite valiant attempts it didn’t catch on – but it was alight at 1010pm which was the designated time for BB to start. The fireworks from Wallingford (we had a great view, massive Beacon still flaring with the moon just behind – amazing sight) – spooked the herd of bullocks which stampeded up the hill, missing us but aimed at the official Beacon before diverting into the woods – and emerging later directly towards us. There then followed a Mexican stand off which was broken when we realised the leading cow had massive horns and the wrong equipment underneath – and was bellowing a challenge.
We abandoned our fire and retreated in orderly fashion down the hill where we lit our lanterns and a good number zoomed into the night sky. A couple had poor lift offs and gave the boys fun chasing until they jumped a ditch into nettles.
So all in all a typically brilliant BB evening.
Most people don’t seem to know where Wittenham clumps is? They are two iron age hill forts - close together, the other side of Wallingford; the highest point in the area, affording fantastic views over Dorchester on Thames towards the Chilterns – and not so great views towards Didcot power station the other way. We arrived in time to climb the hill fort and see the most amazing moon rise – huge and really red , becoming golden orange before it’s normal colour.
They wanted to charge to watch the Beacon being lit, so we decided to build our own Beacon finding some old dry branches & trees – but then we got told off by the estate manager – who turned out to be setting up the Wittenham Clumps beacon – a gas powered effort – just yards from our bonfire – and as scores of people including the Mayoress ? (see the photos) would have been burnt – then fair enough. So we moved the wood round to the East side of the hill and built the 4200 and 1st Beacon. A huge Beacon was lit just outside Wallingford – real Lord of the Rings style – we lit ours – but despite valiant attempts it didn’t catch on – but it was alight at 1010pm which was the designated time for BB to start. The fireworks from Wallingford (we had a great view, massive Beacon still flaring with the moon just behind – amazing sight) – spooked the herd of bullocks which stampeded up the hill, missing us but aimed at the official Beacon before diverting into the woods – and emerging later directly towards us. There then followed a Mexican stand off which was broken when we realised the leading cow had massive horns and the wrong equipment underneath – and was bellowing a challenge.
We abandoned our fire and retreated in orderly fashion down the hill where we lit our lanterns and a good number zoomed into the night sky. A couple had poor lift offs and gave the boys fun chasing until they jumped a ditch into nettles.
So all in all a typically brilliant BB evening.
