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| Jubilee beacons call forth spirit of Britain's past | Jubilee beacons call forth spirit of Britain's past |
| (30 days later) | |
| The ghosts of a far greater empire than the Queen's felt close at hand last night as one of the most romantic of her jubilee beacon chains flared into life. | The ghosts of a far greater empire than the Queen's felt close at hand last night as one of the most romantic of her jubilee beacon chains flared into life. |
| The legions who manned the wall built by the emperor Hadrian between the Tyne and the Solway Firth would have clocked their old signalling system as 60 lights – one for each year of the Queen's reign – were lit in sequence from sea to sea. | The legions who manned the wall built by the emperor Hadrian between the Tyne and the Solway Firth would have clocked their old signalling system as 60 lights – one for each year of the Queen's reign – were lit in sequence from sea to sea. |
| What would have startled the 600 men in the garrison at Segedunum – the "strong fort" in the centre of modern Wallsend – was the enthusiasm of the local population. Watching stilt-walkers, jugglers and fire- eaters before the lighting of the easternmost beacon on the wall at 10.12pm, Trish and Pat O'Connor recalled scavenging the site for "treasure" when they were young. | What would have startled the 600 men in the garrison at Segedunum – the "strong fort" in the centre of modern Wallsend – was the enthusiasm of the local population. Watching stilt-walkers, jugglers and fire- eaters before the lighting of the easternmost beacon on the wall at 10.12pm, Trish and Pat O'Connor recalled scavenging the site for "treasure" when they were young. |
| "I found a boar's tooth from Roman times but Trish threw it out eventually," said Pat. "We were all taught about the wall and why the town's called Wallsend, just as our kids and their kids have been, too." Both were caught by the numinous feel of the site as dusk and a light mist came together on the Tyne with the minutes ticking away to the lighting. | "I found a boar's tooth from Roman times but Trish threw it out eventually," said Pat. "We were all taught about the wall and why the town's called Wallsend, just as our kids and their kids have been, too." Both were caught by the numinous feel of the site as dusk and a light mist came together on the Tyne with the minutes ticking away to the lighting. |
| A 10-year-old invader from north of the wall was also soaking it up. "Awesome!" said Caolan Millard on learning that Hadrian's huge fortification had been built to keep his ancestors out. His family had come down from Glasgow in search of a "really atmospheric" beacon site. His Mum Sian said: "We've certainly found it here." | A 10-year-old invader from north of the wall was also soaking it up. "Awesome!" said Caolan Millard on learning that Hadrian's huge fortification had been built to keep his ancestors out. His family had come down from Glasgow in search of a "really atmospheric" beacon site. His Mum Sian said: "We've certainly found it here." |
| The beacon duly erupted on time, as Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of Hadrian's Wall Heritage, linked Roman times with the 21st-century UK. She said: "When they were lighting their beacons, there was a complex, multicultural, challenging society in and around Segedunum. So it is with modern Wallsend." | The beacon duly erupted on time, as Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of Hadrian's Wall Heritage, linked Roman times with the 21st-century UK. She said: "When they were lighting their beacons, there was a complex, multicultural, challenging society in and around Segedunum. So it is with modern Wallsend." |
| If there was a wish to be made as the beacon woodshed into life, it came from Trevor Wilson of Segedunum's thriving museum. If the recent contraction of Roman Britain's place on schools' national curriculum was reversed, he said, it would make his jubilee. | If there was a wish to be made as the beacon woodshed into life, it came from Trevor Wilson of Segedunum's thriving museum. If the recent contraction of Roman Britain's place on schools' national curriculum was reversed, he said, it would make his jubilee. |
| The roar of applause at the beacon lighting, following Latin versions of notices on Tyneside Metro and ever increasing numbers of wall walkers starting their trek in Wallsend, suggest that the times may be with him. And at 59 other points along the wall and round to Ravenglass's Roman naval base, the enthusiasm was the same. | The roar of applause at the beacon lighting, following Latin versions of notices on Tyneside Metro and ever increasing numbers of wall walkers starting their trek in Wallsend, suggest that the times may be with him. And at 59 other points along the wall and round to Ravenglass's Roman naval base, the enthusiasm was the same. |
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