Meeting Royalty

The day started badly. An early text message informed me that the Addiscombe fair had been cancelled. I should have dived back under the duvet in denial with a promise to resurface in 3 days time. No chance. I informed my Good Lady that I was all hers for the day. I could see the sparkle in her eye shining brightly with excitement. We both knew what was going to happen next. It was just a question of in what order. It didn't take long to find out. The whole thing happened in a whirlwind and 5 minutes later I was being marched to Thornton Heath station to catch a train to London Bridge to see the Thames Diamond Jubilee River Pageant.

Now, being born and not much else in Lambeth before being raised in the Republic of Ireland, I was never likely to be the most fervent of monarchists on show by the Thames that day. Even my English Good Lady was only going to see the pretty ships and didn't care a jot about Queenie & Co.. Still, we keep an open mind on all issues, try to make the best of the day and avoid engaging anyone waving a Union Flag in conversation about Equality verses Royalty - Yeow Deecide.

 


One of many views of the Thames for the ticketless at Tower Bridge



From London Bridge we headed for the river bank and towards Tower Bridge. However, at every turn we were met by security detail announcing "tickets only". It was still 3 hours before the Pageant was due to start. I asked one security guard were tickets still on sale? Tickets were never on sale, invitation only, came the reply. On and on we went with repeated results. Every alleyway blocked to the Queens' loyal subjects. We asked where we should go to see the Avenue of Sail. "Just checking tickets here, mate".I could see the irate faces of a few others who were under the illusion that the display was meant for all and not for the lucky ones with friends in corporate places.






Not exactly preaching to the converted. Good on them.

 

"This is quite symbolic" I heard myself remark, "The security guards should be encouraged to spit on us to complete the imagery". I had only come across this blatant divide of the haves and the have not once before personally (although examples could, I'm sure, be taken from across the world and across the ages) when I had the good fortune to be in Barbados to watch both Ireland and England play cricket at the 2007 World Cup. How decadent. On a free day I left my B&B and headed for the North-West beaches in the hope of spotting a turtle. As it turn out I nearly head butted one while snorkeling but that's a different story. What was sickening was the fact that the locals were clearly not allowed on any beach where a massive hotel had plonked itself down for the benefit of my super-rich tourist counterparts. It was also clear the locals could never match the clout of these hotels if it came a battle of right of way over the beaches. Never imaged it happening back home in such unsubtle circumstances.

Much further on we eventually found a spot for the great unwashed to look back towards where the pageant would finish and the taller ships were moored. Half the assembled crowd looked a bit narked. The other half, mostly tourists, were delighted to be allowed watch from a distance the approach, in 4 hours time, of a Queen and her entourage who were made up of people just like the public, enemies of the public, born into a position of high social standing whose role in life is to maintain this inequality to past down to their offspring. That is their job. They're doing it wonderfully. They must wonder how we let them get away with it. As do I.