7 Aug 2006 - Neil takes tea at the Palace
Not so long ago I had an invitation for two to attend a tea party, a special tea party! The Mad Hatter was not going to be there, but there would be men in bright red uniforms and, just like the Mad Hatters tea party, a Queen. To go to this party you had to have a special Passport, but we were not going out of the country and we were not catching a plane!
On Thursday 13th July, just after breakfast, Iris and I put on our best clothes, made sure we had our passports (and sandwiches for the journey home) and set off. We got as far as Grendon - we had left the invitation on a chair at home! So a quick turn round, a dash back home, before setting out again to join the coach at Shire Hall in Warwick.
Later, talking with other members of the party about passports, a couple said, "What do we need passports for?" After pointing out that it was stated on the tickets, it left the concern, "Would they be let in?" (They were, but they were told off!). At the stop at the Oxford services for lunch I met Roger Green, training officer for the Boys' Brigade Battalion in Birmingham, I had not seen him for some 10 years so we had some ground to catch up on; he was going to the tea party as well!
You will have guessed that we were going to Buckingham Palace. The Queen had invited to tea representatives of those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, to mark the 50th year of the Scheme. At the Palace we went through the Police checks, through the gate, main entrance no less, through the archway to a large inner courtyard, then up through the entrance to the Palace itself and on to the terrace and gardens beyond.
It was a big tea party, 8,500 people, good job there was a big lawn. In the garden each group had its own meeting point where certificates were presented to schools and councils for all their work with the Award Scheme, and Iris and I had the privilege to be there. Celebrities like Del Boy, Brian Blessed, Alan Whiticker and many others presented the certificates. After the presentations were over we tried to spot some of the celebrities in the other groups.
Tea was served at 3.30 pm with dainty sandwiches and cakes, the plates were not very big so you couldn't pile much on the plate and leave room for a cup of tea. Just before 4 pm markers positioned themselves down the field, sorry lawn, in three rows, these were from the ATC, Guides, Scouts, Navy, Army and other organisations. Her Majesty then appeared wearing a dark blue suite with blue hat trimmed with pink. We were in the middle line, the Duke of Edinburgh came down our line stopping to talk to different people. After he had gone past we went to see if we could see the Queen, trying to look over peoples shoulders and around ladies hats to get a glimpse of Her Majesty. Then we walked over to the other line to see Prince Edward and Sophia.
Later, we sat down under the trees to listen to the bands. I turned to a lady next to us and asked where she had come from, Wiltshire was the answer, North Warwickshire was mine. I have a relative there she said. We discovered her step dad was my uncle from Kingsbury, what a place to meet.
At 6 pm it was all over and time to go back to the coach. It was a wonderful day!
Neil Painter
On Thursday 13th July, just after breakfast, Iris and I put on our best clothes, made sure we had our passports (and sandwiches for the journey home) and set off. We got as far as Grendon - we had left the invitation on a chair at home! So a quick turn round, a dash back home, before setting out again to join the coach at Shire Hall in Warwick.
Later, talking with other members of the party about passports, a couple said, "What do we need passports for?" After pointing out that it was stated on the tickets, it left the concern, "Would they be let in?" (They were, but they were told off!). At the stop at the Oxford services for lunch I met Roger Green, training officer for the Boys' Brigade Battalion in Birmingham, I had not seen him for some 10 years so we had some ground to catch up on; he was going to the tea party as well!
You will have guessed that we were going to Buckingham Palace. The Queen had invited to tea representatives of those involved with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, to mark the 50th year of the Scheme. At the Palace we went through the Police checks, through the gate, main entrance no less, through the archway to a large inner courtyard, then up through the entrance to the Palace itself and on to the terrace and gardens beyond.
It was a big tea party, 8,500 people, good job there was a big lawn. In the garden each group had its own meeting point where certificates were presented to schools and councils for all their work with the Award Scheme, and Iris and I had the privilege to be there. Celebrities like Del Boy, Brian Blessed, Alan Whiticker and many others presented the certificates. After the presentations were over we tried to spot some of the celebrities in the other groups.
Tea was served at 3.30 pm with dainty sandwiches and cakes, the plates were not very big so you couldn't pile much on the plate and leave room for a cup of tea. Just before 4 pm markers positioned themselves down the field, sorry lawn, in three rows, these were from the ATC, Guides, Scouts, Navy, Army and other organisations. Her Majesty then appeared wearing a dark blue suite with blue hat trimmed with pink. We were in the middle line, the Duke of Edinburgh came down our line stopping to talk to different people. After he had gone past we went to see if we could see the Queen, trying to look over peoples shoulders and around ladies hats to get a glimpse of Her Majesty. Then we walked over to the other line to see Prince Edward and Sophia.
Later, we sat down under the trees to listen to the bands. I turned to a lady next to us and asked where she had come from, Wiltshire was the answer, North Warwickshire was mine. I have a relative there she said. We discovered her step dad was my uncle from Kingsbury, what a place to meet.
At 6 pm it was all over and time to go back to the coach. It was a wonderful day!
Neil Painter