W4376

Female Age 43 Married Designer and creator of personalised scrapbooks Part Three: The Diamond Jubilee 2nd – 5th June 2012 Saturday 2nd June I travel down to my parents in Yorkshire to go along to their local village fete. Both of my daughters come with me, but J has to be at work today so misses out on the start of the Jubilee festivities. On the way to Halifax, we stop off on the outskirts of Leeds to pick up a 1920’s typewriter that my daughter has bought on e-bay. We have lunch at my parents and then all wander out into the village for the fete. Many people come from the village, plus others from surrounding villages. They have organised various attractions: four vintage cars, dog agility performances, art show, a barbeque stall, bouncy castle, inflatable sumo wrestler costumes, brass band recital, an opportunity to have a go at the Paralympic sport of boccia (similar to boules), plus a selection of cake/book/plant stalls. There is a children’s parade down the village street, with them all dressed as princes, princesses, kings and queens. The Mayor of Calderdale presents them with prizes, announces the fete open and then everyone spends money, eats cakes and enjoys a cold, wet but Jubilee afternoon. Before we return home, we eat out at Aldo’s, an Italian restaurant in Cleckheaton. So having spent the afternoon surrounded by bunting and Union Jack flags, it is a treat to sit amongst Italian flags and listen to Italian music. Sunday 3rd June J and I go for a swim this morning at the local health club. The garden then beckons when we get back, with the everlasting problem of weeds needing attention. I go shopping to the supermarket for food for the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend. After tea, I watch some of the Jubilee River Pageant on the BBC i-Player. I enjoy being able to fast forward past some of the commentary that is not necessarily as informative as I expected – a bit too much of a show business feel. Monday 4th June I spend the first part of the morning tidying up the house in readiness for J’s parents arriving from Australia for a twelve week holiday with us. We meet them at Newcastle Airport, and whilst waiting for them to come into the Arrivals Hall. We stand next to a couple waiting for their relatives, she wearing a tiara and he wearing a Queen Elizabeth mask. This does cause a lot of smiles as other people spot them waiting. Paul’s parents arrive and we drive back home, and they enjoy seeing the flags and bunting hung outside local businesses and houses. We spend the rest of the day catching up on family news and finish the day off with a game of cards, before the jet lag starts to kick in and they, and us call it a night. Tuesday 5th June Today we have planned a Jubilee lunch so it is a bit disappointing that the weather is cold and wet and we are not going to be able to have our lunch outside. I had hoped for a warm sunny day to fit with my theme of a ‘typically English’ picnic party, in honour of the Jubilee and to give my parents-in-law something different to look forward to, as opposed to the inevitable barbecue. But weather aside, I just put up the home-made floral bunting inside the house, and put the large green bottles of summery flowers on window ledges. Each bottle also has a floral Union Jack postcard coming out of it, and gives the house the summer garden feel that we are not going to be able to experience outside. Guests arrive for lunch, including my parents, friends and neighbours, and we start the lunch off with Pimms. Everyone has contributed something to the lunch, so we have a magnificent picnic spread, even including a nod to history with coronation chicken. It’s good to be together for an afternoon of gossip, games of snooker and even afternoon tea of scones, jam and cream. We round off the afternoon with a glass of champagne and a toast to the Queen, which just seems to be the right thing to do. Once everyone has gone home, we eat up the leftovers, and our daughters and their friends who are here for a sleepover finish off the evening watching DVD’s, and the rest of the adults play cards. Why spoil the habit of a lifetime by not playing cards, even if it is the Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend.