SONNING held a series of special events to mark the start of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
On Jubilee Thursday and Friday, the bi-annual scarecrow trail has been taking place with thousands of visitors admiring all kinds of witty tableaux, some with a royal theme.
There is also a classic car show and some open gardens to explore.
The village church, St Andrews, welcomed bellringers who rang out a full peal of Spliced Surprise Major.
This piece of music lasts three hours and seven minutes.
Helping the church with the peal were ringers from Reading, Caversham, Wimbledon, Basingstoke and Bramley.
And in the evening, attention switched from the village to the King George V recreation ground.
From 7pm, Sonning Scouts served a barbecue, while younger people could enjoy a bouncy castle, a treasure hunt, cricket nets, and a penalty shoot-out.
There was also a chance to buy ice cream, while the pavilion bar was open for business.
It was all a precursor to the village’s beacon lighting ceremony.
Children were allowed to gather at the front of the crowds to ensure they could see, and the beacon blazed in the light of the crescent moon.
The village’s festivities continue on Saturday with an elegant picnic in the grounds of Reading Blue Coat School.
On Sunday, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, the Rt Revd Lord Carey of Clifton, will be guest preacher at St Andrew’s, in a Pentecost service that will include Princess Elizabeth’s dedication speech in 1948.
Afterwards, there will be a drinks reception and the unveiling of a new buggy aimed at aiding mobility in the churchyard.
There will also be a street party in Pearson Road.
