CHILDREN from Goostrey Primary School have helped plant a tree to celebrate The Queen’s 90th birthday.

Grady Alderdice and Asa Walsh-Goldsmith were invited to help with the planting of a flag pole cherry tree by Goostrey Parish Council.

The tree was planted on the Bog Bean next to a Churchill Oak, which was planted in 1965 to mark the death of Winston Churchill.

A plaque was unveiled alongside the cherry tree, which was bought by the parish council, which had a plaque made for the Churchill Oak last year.

Grady and Asa were the junior and infant winners respectively of a competition held at Goostrey Primary School to design a birthday card for The Queen.

The school was invited to take part in the competition by the parish council, and the whole school entered.

The cards which the children created were displayed in the waiting room at Goostrey Railway Station.

The tree planting was attended by parish council chairman Peter Godfrey, vice-chairman Cath McCubbin and fellow parish councillors.

Also present at the ceremony were Goostrey MP Fiona Bruce, parents, teachers and a number of residents.

“The flag pole cherry was chosen because we wanted a native tree, and the planting was a lovely community occasion,” said Cllr McCubbin.

“The pupils who won the birthday card competition piled soil on the area which had been prepared for the tree planting.”

The parish council had a plaque made last year for the Churchill Oak to highlight the significance of the tree in relation to Britain’s famous wartime leader, Winston Churchill, who died on January 24, 1965.

“There was nothing to mark the tree, so we decided to have a plaque made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Churchill’s death,” said Cllr McCubbin.

The tree planting took place shortly before MP Fiona Bruce broke new ground to mark the start of building work to create a new Scout Hut and Youth Centre in the village.

Mrs Bruce dug the first sod of earth, and she unveiled a commemorative plaque with Peter Godfrey, Cath McCubbin and 1st Goostrey Scouts Group Scout Leader David Giles.