HONOURING the Queen in her Golden Jubilee year has proved something of a family affair at Europe's biggest British Army base.

A plaque mounted on a three-tonne slab of sandstone at the entrance to Catterick Garrison's Coronation Park will be unveiled to commemorate the occasion on Saturday.

Quartermaster Major Dave Jarratt has been overseeing preparations for the ceremony, which will also include a formal rededication service led by garrison commander, Colonel Nick Gaskell.

His son, Sergeant Paul Jarratt, has also had a part to play, leading the party from 5 ES Battalion of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), given the task of lifting and transporting the huge chunk of rock from the moors above Catterick to its new location.

Sgt Jarratt admitted the boulder posed its own set of unique problems, including the shape, which made it particularly difficult to keep upright.

"There was also the problem that sandstone by its very nature is quite soft, so we had to be very careful not to chip bits off as the sling straps took the strain," he said.

However, his father said he knew he could rely on the squad's professionalism.

Maj Jarratt said: "It was a fairly tortuous task to get it absolutely spot on, but Paul and his lads did a terrific job. I was very proud. Not only will the stone be a fitting memorial for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, it will also be a testament to the skills of Paul and his soldiers for many decades to come."