Tuesday, April 26

A right royal knees up for you?

by Patrick Astill

What will you be doing on the big day then?

Maybe a nice breakfast in bed, followed by an easy morning pottering around the house and then settling down for the greatest show on earth?

It’s plain that the great British public seems distinctly under-whelmed by the prospect of a royal wedding.

Even David Cameron did his bit this week with a rallying call for anyone who wants to have a street party.

“Go ahead, flout the regulations – get out there and enjoy!” he said. Or words to that effect.

I don’t know of any street parties around our way. One school is opening up on the Saturday for a big party for all the local children and it’s going to be very well attended.

And why not? There’s little else to celebrate as a nation at the moment.

We’re hardly likely to see a Nobby dancing around the edge of the Wembley pitch with a football World Cup any time soon. Gone are the days when I‘d welcome a general election result with champagne (it has been known, you know). And I can’t see Forest being promoted to the Premiership either.

So given a choice between being fashionably cool about the whole wedding thing, which is what I believe many people are striving for, or having a bit of a knees-up, even if it’s only in the back garden with the neighbours, I know which I‘d rather do.

I can still remember a clutch of royal weddings, a few royal babies and can even recall the fuss from when Diana was still working at the nursery and the rumours had started about her and Charles. It was the wedding of the decade and was watched by many more millions around the world than anyone could be bothered to count. I’ll stick my neck out and guess that interest is still out there.

OK, so I won’t be getting paid for my extra day off – but that’s all the more reason to enjoy it in my book, to take the “pain” away!

I can’t think of anyone, even among the ones who say they don’t care, who won’t want to sneak a look at Kate’s dress, or the Queen’s hat, even if it takes them a couple of days to peek in the Sunday papers.

If you’re one of those who say they can’t bear the royalist celebrations, I‘d bet that you’re in the minority.

First published in the Lincolnshire Echo. 

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Nottingham is full of fun, according to the traditional football chant. It's full of a few other things, too, so while I welcome comments, don't bother adding anything that won't get published...