All the kings horses...
Apr. 29th, 2011 11:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luckykaaSomething about the royal wedding. Really felt the archbishop should have started the sermon with "Mawwiage". I guess I've seen that film too many times.
It was a curious day. My mother, generally a royalist, had volunteered to do some tour guide without realising that it was the same day as the Royal Wedding.. The "guiding" was simply a matter of getting the tour party from the airport to the coach. But that was happening at about 10ish and there was no way of getting back from Heathrow by the time it starts. I volunteered to go with her, keep her company and help find somewhere that might show the wedding.
So, set off early to make sure that even with traffic there would be a good hour's leeway before the plane landed. I'd persuaded my mum to take her car (A sporty 2 seater convertable Daihatsu COpen), rather than the shared Fiat Punto they share. Weather wasn't good enough to take the lid down but it's more fun to drive.
It being first thing in the morning on a bank holiday the drive took just over an hour. but at least that gave plenty of time to get bearings, work out where the coach stop was and we could sit amusing ourselves watching the pre-wedding stuff on one of the screens in the arrivals hall. It's an amazing skill those presenters have. Finding inoffensive stuff to talk about for several hours when absolutely nothing is happening. I'm actually rather intrigued by the Household Cavalry. Firstly, how many other countries still have Cavalry? But also they showed a shot of the stables. Of course it's the army, so they don't have grooms. Those smart elite troops who escort royalty spend a huge chunk of their time shovelling horse dung.
So, further pictures of other royal weddings, speculation about the weather what might Kate Middleton be wearing, what hats people are wearing - all thrilling television.
The airport played the national anthem in honour of the royal wedding. Which was bizarre and slightly awkward since we're really not sure if we should stand or not. Nobody else was so we didn't. Costa was giving out free tea in honour of the event which is something I can get behind, and fully support this Britishness.
Anyway, the plane landed, the group arrived, and were directed to the coach, and I vanished to keep out of the way. Once that was dealt with there was a good 15 minutes or so until the wedding started. I was prepared. I'd searched the night before and one of the first hits for pubs that seemed likely to be showing the event was The White Horse in Heathrow. I know this pub. It's a regular food destination for us at conventions. And I know how to get to Longford, at least once I get my bearings. It's a lovely old fashioned 16th century pub very well kept and does good pub food, real ales and soft drinks. There was seating outside and a television and we arrived just in time to see the bride arrive, so that all worked out well. Rather charmingly, the pub staff were all dressed up in their wedding clothes and were planning a street party later on which alas we didn't stay for.
I'm not actually a huge royalist. Still, I do have a fondness for the pomp and ceremony this country does so well, and rather like this sort of major national event. It's not for the royal family. It's for us. The smattering of people in The White Horse were all watching and commenting and sharing the event with each other. We felt we were sharing it with everyone else in the world who was watching. It's a shared experience brings people together. I think we need more of that.
It was a curious day. My mother, generally a royalist, had volunteered to do some tour guide without realising that it was the same day as the Royal Wedding.. The "guiding" was simply a matter of getting the tour party from the airport to the coach. But that was happening at about 10ish and there was no way of getting back from Heathrow by the time it starts. I volunteered to go with her, keep her company and help find somewhere that might show the wedding.
So, set off early to make sure that even with traffic there would be a good hour's leeway before the plane landed. I'd persuaded my mum to take her car (A sporty 2 seater convertable Daihatsu COpen), rather than the shared Fiat Punto they share. Weather wasn't good enough to take the lid down but it's more fun to drive.
It being first thing in the morning on a bank holiday the drive took just over an hour. but at least that gave plenty of time to get bearings, work out where the coach stop was and we could sit amusing ourselves watching the pre-wedding stuff on one of the screens in the arrivals hall. It's an amazing skill those presenters have. Finding inoffensive stuff to talk about for several hours when absolutely nothing is happening. I'm actually rather intrigued by the Household Cavalry. Firstly, how many other countries still have Cavalry? But also they showed a shot of the stables. Of course it's the army, so they don't have grooms. Those smart elite troops who escort royalty spend a huge chunk of their time shovelling horse dung.
So, further pictures of other royal weddings, speculation about the weather what might Kate Middleton be wearing, what hats people are wearing - all thrilling television.
The airport played the national anthem in honour of the royal wedding. Which was bizarre and slightly awkward since we're really not sure if we should stand or not. Nobody else was so we didn't. Costa was giving out free tea in honour of the event which is something I can get behind, and fully support this Britishness.
Anyway, the plane landed, the group arrived, and were directed to the coach, and I vanished to keep out of the way. Once that was dealt with there was a good 15 minutes or so until the wedding started. I was prepared. I'd searched the night before and one of the first hits for pubs that seemed likely to be showing the event was The White Horse in Heathrow. I know this pub. It's a regular food destination for us at conventions. And I know how to get to Longford, at least once I get my bearings. It's a lovely old fashioned 16th century pub very well kept and does good pub food, real ales and soft drinks. There was seating outside and a television and we arrived just in time to see the bride arrive, so that all worked out well. Rather charmingly, the pub staff were all dressed up in their wedding clothes and were planning a street party later on which alas we didn't stay for.
I'm not actually a huge royalist. Still, I do have a fondness for the pomp and ceremony this country does so well, and rather like this sort of major national event. It's not for the royal family. It's for us. The smattering of people in The White Horse were all watching and commenting and sharing the event with each other. We felt we were sharing it with everyone else in the world who was watching. It's a shared experience brings people together. I think we need more of that.
