I have had a connection with London ever since my childhood. I remain a countryman but the capital has retained a draw for me. I have early memories that I can recollect and there have been occasions where I felt a privilege to be a witness too. Wearing a top hat, a high collared tunic with shiny buttons I lined the route from the Royal Apartments to St George’s Chapel in Windsor for The Garter Ceremony. Also Sir Winston Churchill when ‘lying-in-state’ in Westminster Hall and, not shying away from politics, being on Trafalgar Square when Harold Wilson’s Labour Party ousted The Tories.
Today, through all the media channels we can view history as it happens. It’s wall to wall stuff with views being expressed from a multitude of angles.
Yesterday, the day unfolded quickly and then we knew that the second Elizabethan era had closed with Queen Elizabeth’s death in the afternoon. I felt sadness but still knowing that I had lived through all of her remarkable reign. Total applause for that.
The emotions swirled and the media added their voices and scenes of people standing around gateways and leaving bouquets. Some wonderful tributes left by ordinary folk.
My son, a London Cabby, - the proper sort in a black cab - was working in town and knew what was going on. Cabbies will always pay their respects by thronging The Mall as they have done before. This morning my grandson was at Hyde Park Corner, on duty as a modern day policeman, helping to prepare London for what was to come. I spent two years at that location working out of the then smallest Police Station in London within Wellington Arch.
In the afternoon crowds had gathered at Buckingham Palace awaiting the arrival of our new King. I was hoping that he and his wife would stop, get out from the monarch’s car and go on walk-about. They did. It was the proper thing to do. To go and chat with our people although it must take a strong character to do so having lost his mother the afternoon before. He gets a very large tick from me. Adding in a personal note from me a friend was there to see Charles arrive when standing outside the Palace.
I listened to his speech. it was good and I expect it will be dissected by the media. I applaud him for mentioning Harry and Meghan. They are his family after all. And now tonight people are being asked whether they would prefer William instead of his father. That is nonsense. Let’s just get on with what we have and support the new King.
No comments:
Post a Comment