RESIDENTS of the parishes Little Cowarne and Pencombe celebrated the Queen's 90th birthday with a beacon at Shortwood Farm.

The beacon formed part of a chain of hundreds up and down the country and was lit at 8.30pm by Mrs Ivy Legge who will be celebrating her 90th birthday on June 11 this year. Ivy and her late husband Edward farmed Shortwood for many years before handing over to their son David.

The evening was dry but very cold and the spectators enjoyed the heat from the blazing fire as they looked out across the countryside to other beacons blazing on other high points in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.