Tags
cheering, crowds, diamond jubilee, Elizabeth II, monarch, queen, royal visit, royalty, Saltaire
…ok, now I have your attention, this blog title isn’t strictly true! I didn’t actually ‘meet’ the Queen…in person…but I did ‘see’ her…through a window!!
I drove into work and wondered why there were steel railings everywhere! Did they know I was coming??? ;-) The village, Saltaire, hosts various festivals of food, drink, art and scrumptious vintage-ness over the year…and so I presumed it was something to do with one of these.
I was still none the wiser until one of my work colleagues bounded in, expressing her excitement of the Queen visiting! I only work here two days a week now – and so the news of the royal visit had not reached my ears, hence why I was completely oblivious.
Colleagues piled out onto the soon crowded streets – and due to the amount of work I had to do, I decided to stay at my desk – and instead, planned to peer out of the window as the cheers announced the Queen’s arrival. Now, our office windows are huge and you can indeed stand up fully in them – and as they are a great deal higher than street level, knew I’d have this perfect position all to myself to view the passing spectacle.
The Queen had been to Leeds and was going for lunch at the building opposite where I work. Thankfully I had my camera in my bag and so managed to snap some photographs on her journey past my office window.
Colleagues had been disappointed that they hadn’t been able to get such good shots – so maybe it had been a good idea to stay inside after all!? I was also around on her return journey past the window two hours later…so I snapped a few more then too!
I’m not the biggest royalist – but I’m definitely not anti the ‘immediate’ royal family in anyway. I particularly love their history and all of the pomp and circumstance that’s involved with their special occasions and celebrations; and despite what people may think, I don’t know many other 86 year old ladies participating in non-stop engagements up and down the country…and not even a bingo ball in sight!!