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A Wonderful Weekend in Homage to The Queen!
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If I'm honest, I'm quite partial to a good old Jubilee, stretching all the way back to 1977 and our present Queen's Silver Jubilee. I have always tried to take part, as you would expect from a Royalist. The photo below is of me, dressed as The Queen during her Diamond celebrations, ten years ago. That was the year I went all out for Her Majesty and arranged a fancy dress party for friends and family. This year was very different; at fifty-one years old, there was no partying into the wee hours, but I did do my best to enjoy the four-day Bank Holiday weekend. It was an occasion to remember, that stirred emotions inside me and made me realise, our dear Queen will not be around forever and all of us should expect to see less of her during the next few years.
Newcome Arms
For the most part, I was working over the Jubilee. I had taken time off from my supermarket job, to join in the party at The Newcome Arms, working behind the bar for a few shifts. It was amazing to be part of the wonderful atmosphere, back in a pub I love, surrounded by patrons and colleagues I haven't seen in a while.
It was an extremely busy night on Friday, and I didn't stop all evening. That's the kind of shift I love; it was great to see so many happy faces toasting our Queen. The Newcome had pulled out all the stops over the bank holiday and had arranged live music, disco's, talent competitions and a children's party on the Sunday. It was impressive to see just how much effort this little pub in the heart of Fratton had made, to ensure everyone had a good time, including me!
It is unlikely we will ever see a Platinum Jubilee again, at least in the near future. I was therefore extremely mindful of the great historic significance, this four day holiday had for all British people. The Queen is beloved by all of us who live on these islands, and the celebrations across the country demonstrated that. Walking home from the Newcome in the early hours of Saturday morning, you could still hear parties continuing throughout the neighbourhood. It was heartening that everyone was respectful and there were no drunken shenanigans, as one might expect after a few days drinking. The regulars at the pub were a joy to be around, and I thoroughly enjoyed being back behind the bar, even for a short time!
It was an extremely busy night on Friday, and I didn't stop all evening. That's the kind of shift I love; it was great to see so many happy faces toasting our Queen. The Newcome had pulled out all the stops over the bank holiday and had arranged live music, disco's, talent competitions and a children's party on the Sunday. It was impressive to see just how much effort this little pub in the heart of Fratton had made, to ensure everyone had a good time, including me!
It is unlikely we will ever see a Platinum Jubilee again, at least in the near future. I was therefore extremely mindful of the great historic significance, this four day holiday had for all British people. The Queen is beloved by all of us who live on these islands, and the celebrations across the country demonstrated that. Walking home from the Newcome in the early hours of Saturday morning, you could still hear parties continuing throughout the neighbourhood. It was heartening that everyone was respectful and there were no drunken shenanigans, as one might expect after a few days drinking. The regulars at the pub were a joy to be around, and I thoroughly enjoyed being back behind the bar, even for a short time!
I did a brief few hours behind the bar on Saturday also, giving other members of staff a short break, before the disco in the evening. Dipping in and out of the pub at will, rather than having rigid shifts, has suited me and has fitted in well with my current commitments. I do love bar work and the social interaction that goes along with it, and I'm sure it will remain at least a small part of my life for a while to come yet!
Like twelve million others, after work on Saturday, I sat down to watch the Platinum Party at the Palace. There have been other concerts in front of Buckingham Palace in the past, but this one was special, unlike anything I had ever seen before. The organisation, special effects, light show and projection of Her Majesty's life onto the palace itself was truly magical and out of this World.
I really didn't know many of the newer acts and, in truth, didn't particularly enjoy them. I am not one for rap and other modern styles of music, but thoroughly enjoyed most of the show, especially our Eurovision Star, Sam Ryder and of course Diana Ross. As a nation, we really do know how to put on an amazing performance, especially during important milestones. I understand peoples concerns about the money spent, especially during the cost of living crisis, but you have to remember why we were celebrating in the first place. Queen Elizabeth's seventy years as Monarch and head of state is something we should all be proud of. The majority of the British people support her and after the dark days of the pandemic, it was a necessary distraction. All of us were able to focus on a woman, who has given her life in the service of this country.
I really didn't know many of the newer acts and, in truth, didn't particularly enjoy them. I am not one for rap and other modern styles of music, but thoroughly enjoyed most of the show, especially our Eurovision Star, Sam Ryder and of course Diana Ross. As a nation, we really do know how to put on an amazing performance, especially during important milestones. I understand peoples concerns about the money spent, especially during the cost of living crisis, but you have to remember why we were celebrating in the first place. Queen Elizabeth's seventy years as Monarch and head of state is something we should all be proud of. The majority of the British people support her and after the dark days of the pandemic, it was a necessary distraction. All of us were able to focus on a woman, who has given her life in the service of this country.
Like everyone else, I was taken aback with the opening sketch of The Queen and Paddington Bear together at the palace. Our Monarch may well be 96 years old, but this short video showed her great sense of fun and humour and left a lasting impression on all of us who saw it. It was of course uniquely British and showed The Queen enjoying her old age, in a way we haven't seen before. Finally, Her Majesty is doing what makes her happy, attending events that are significant for her and continuing to play an important role in the history of this country. This was the Grandmother of the nation at her finest!
Lunch Date at The Ship & Castle
On Sunday, Darrell and I took the opportunity to meet up with my old University friend Ramona. I rarely have Sunday's off, so I headed to my go-to place of choice, The Ship, and Castle at The Hard in Southsea. This place does the best carvery, perfect for a Sunday lunch. As usual, we all had a lot to catch up on, having not seen one another for a while, and it was nice chatting over a few pints and good food.
Ramona is really my last true friend from my early years living in Southampton, thirty years ago. No matter how different our lives have been, we have always managed to stay in touch in one way or another. Like us, life hasn't treated her in the best way possible, so we do have a lot in common. I made a conscious decision to offload a lot of people from my life a few years ago now. Today I prefer to hang out with friends like Ramona, my best buddy and someone who probably knows me better than I know myself!
After a lovely afternoon and a spot of window shopping at Gunwharf, since I can never afford anything there, it was home to catch up on the Jubilee pageant. Watching that final clip of our Queen stood on the balcony, dressed in emerald green, she did look rather frail. I couldn't help thinking how much longer we will have with this lady as our Head of State. Not the nicest thought at that moment, but all of us have to accept that Her Majesty is now winding down after seventy years on the throne.
In the same way I celebrated with friends this Jubilee weekend, taking the opportunity to see people I haven't seen in a while, it was also great to see The Queen doing the same at such an important milestone. These last few days have been momentous for many reasons, but they have also allowed people like me, the time to spend with people I hold dear. I hope we will continue to remember this day for many years to come, it is after all a historic event, unlike any other that's gone before!
Ramona is really my last true friend from my early years living in Southampton, thirty years ago. No matter how different our lives have been, we have always managed to stay in touch in one way or another. Like us, life hasn't treated her in the best way possible, so we do have a lot in common. I made a conscious decision to offload a lot of people from my life a few years ago now. Today I prefer to hang out with friends like Ramona, my best buddy and someone who probably knows me better than I know myself!
After a lovely afternoon and a spot of window shopping at Gunwharf, since I can never afford anything there, it was home to catch up on the Jubilee pageant. Watching that final clip of our Queen stood on the balcony, dressed in emerald green, she did look rather frail. I couldn't help thinking how much longer we will have with this lady as our Head of State. Not the nicest thought at that moment, but all of us have to accept that Her Majesty is now winding down after seventy years on the throne.
In the same way I celebrated with friends this Jubilee weekend, taking the opportunity to see people I haven't seen in a while, it was also great to see The Queen doing the same at such an important milestone. These last few days have been momentous for many reasons, but they have also allowed people like me, the time to spend with people I hold dear. I hope we will continue to remember this day for many years to come, it is after all a historic event, unlike any other that's gone before!
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