Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant day partying a la casa ...

Pageant Day dawned as you would expect of the British weather: damp and misty – it did blow away down here, being on the south coast ... the weather gets sent inland – and yesterday it did - on and up to London.

Pippa dressed for the
part - flowers made
from cupcake holders

I had been invited to a Jubilee Picnic with some friends at their house, and as they live in a Close – it was a street party with a difference ... marquees and gazebos erected to fit the garden spaces, tables and chairs risking the weather ...  everyone bringing a range of food – lots of selections, lots of – too!

I made three of these - someone else made
the delicious jelly one little boy thought so!

I made my favourite – spanakopita (Greek filo, spinach and cheese pastries), cocktail sticks of lightly fried onion leaves followed by a piece of pork fillet and capped with a piece of mango, then ‘spread about’ with carrot, celery and pepper sticks, radishes and baby tomatoes ...

Savoury buffet selection

Savouries, salads, cold meats, crisps and nuts, desserts, cupcakes, home-made coffee cake = delicious: I had two slices!, cheese board, chocolates  and everything in between!  

I had to buy the 'rubber band'! - quite
pretty and for a very good cause:
"Help for Heroes". Ces and Teresa's
son is out in Afghanistan.

There was a Royal Jubilee quiz, bingo tables, a raffle for a myriad of prizes ... then later on a karaoke, dancing, more partying and lots of extra food ...

Last year for the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge the Close raised money for St Wilfrid’s Hospice ... this year Help for Heroes was at the forefront ... for fund raising – at one stage over £720 ...

Tv Big Screen, Prizes and booze 'tent'
with lots of chat going on ... notice the
Union Jack coloured paper chains

The booze table was outside in the prize tent, the big screen tv was there too ... though quite often obscured by bods talking, eating and drinking ... eventually I quietly slipped into their den to watch the pageant unfold - where clarity of viewing was easier.

JJ one of our nurses,
and Perla (see post)

I won a couple of prizes – the main one (chocolate) got taken back for the staff ...  they were exhausted, but full of the joys of diamond jubileeing ... 




... Terry had phoned his aunt from his narrow boat on their Pageant Journey ... his narrow boat had flowers on ...

Narrow Boats docked pre Royal Flotilla
and Pageant day ahead

... the staff and I were laughing – all the boats had flowers on or around them ... so we’ll have to wait and see what their boat actually looked like.


Still it was good of him to ring the Nursing Centre, so Shelagh could have a ‘quick’ word ...

Also to hear his news will be so interesting ... being a part of the flotilla itself.

China and Glass stacked in Dresser
for a non-picnic day!

The staff had kindly put my mother’s tv on for her ... how much she had seen I’m not sure – but I’ll take the newspaper photos in for her to see ... and chat to her about it over the coming weeks ... looks like the media print will get some added value/profit from me this summer!

Dessert Section

Did I mention William turned up at ‘my viewing station’ ... well he did – granted he’s a little younger ... being only 3 weeks old!  His parents, Sophie and Chris, brought him in to change him ... not a problem – as someone said all ‘his bits’ glaring forth ...

Cupcake selection

.... well one lot was cleaned up, lots of chat going on, time to nappy wrap again ... noooo another lot to garner in, wipe down, clean up and ready to tidy up .... nooooo here we go again ....

... repeat process (systems do repeat themselves don’t they?!) .... this time ready to wrap – noooo fountain appears, mop up, wipe down, ready to wrap .... noooo back to the beginning again ....

Looking down the room from buffet area
across the crisps, nuts and chocolate
table!

.... clear up, nappy wipes coming to an end – bad ‘family planning’ me-thinks?! – ready to wrap once again .... nooooo big fire engine spray this time ... now everyone’s in hysterics ... I said – I think this is going in the blog – good ending to a happy Diamond Jubilee lunch ...

... this time they did get him wrapped up and ready to roll for the rest of his merry life ... dear William I hope you appreciate these tender remembrances ... welcome to this world!  By the way William ... your parents did authorise this retelling ....?!

The woodburner between the sofas

Linda, family and friends had done such an excellent job with all the decorations and Royal/ Queen memorabilia - many were in red, white and blue ... me I was in green!


My mother on Saturday had had a happy time watching Richard Gere, Jennifer Lopez and Susan Sarandon - in "Shall We Dance" ... it had plenty of glitz and fun.

Union Jack cake stand

There is still so much going on – so much to tell you ... I’m going into Past, Present and Future 2012 tales ...

Til then – any thoughts you have on the parts of the Pageant your broadcasters might have scheduled for you ...  my thoughts and remembrances to follow ...

Hilary Melton-Butcher

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