NO, it’s not a giant birdcage, or a piece of exotic sculpture destined to go on display in the centre of York.

This is the steel beacon that, on June 4, will be lit in St Helen’s Square to commemorate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

It will be part of a chain of thousands of beacons stretching from Scotland to the south coast that will be lit between 10pm and 10.30pm that evening to celebrate Her Majesty’s 60 years on the throne.

The beacon was designed by Glen Peters, the operations manager at City of York Council in charge of the authority’s team of five blacksmiths.

He wanted something that would look like a crown, in honour of the Queen, Mr Peters said – and got the basic inspiration for the design from the fibreglass bottle banks used to recycle bottles, but turned upside down. “Then I just did a few sketches.”

The beacon is made from 32 strips of steel, each shaped by blacksmiths at the council’s eco-depot in James Street and then topped by a steel ball.

More than 2,000 such beacons will be lit on the evening of June 4. The first will be lit by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors at pm, the last by the Queen herself in London at 10.30pm. York’s lighting-up time will be 10.15 – but the council is urging members of the public to come along a bit earlier to enjoy the evening properly.

There will be a small ceremony in St Helen’s Square starting from 9.45pm that will include a band and a rendition of God Save The Queen, as well as a short speech by the Lord Mayor, before the beacon is lit at 10.15pm.

“So do come along. We want people to be there to show their loyalty and affection for the Queen,”

said the council’s events and festivals officer Liz Topi,