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| Photo by Magnus D |
I can't let the Royal wedding pass without mentioning it on the blog. I was surprised that the children were more excited about it than me. Daughter number two had to work in the morning so she cleared the Sky box and had the recorder set to record every second of the wedding coverage. The son who must not be named took advantage of the day off school to spend some time with his girlfriend, he should really have been revising for his exams, but it wasn't that sort of day. I listened on the radio, I didn't think I was that interested, but curiosity got the better of me because I wanted to see the bridesmaids, so I kept the radio coverage and watched online with the sound muted. The bridesmaids and the page boys looked lovely and behaved perfectly.
It was after the wedding that I started to get more interested. Winston Churchill once said "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man". Watching all the horses involved in the ceremonial procession back to Buckingham Palace was the best bit for me. Suddenly my full attention was on the screen when I spotted what I thought was a person struggling with a horse at the side of the parade. It was such a brief glimpse that I couldn't really be sure what I had seen. Then a loose horse was mentioned in the commentary and we saw the horse break away from the other horses and thunder past the coach carrying Prince William and his new wife. It wasn't possible to see the horse after that, but the commentary suggested that the horse had rejoined the parade.
I was worried about the horse (and the rider) and I really wanted to know what had happened to them. I checked online throughout the day and eventually it was reported that the rider was unhurt and the horse had made it's own way back to the stables at Horse Guards' Barracks. So now I just have one unanswered question, how did the horse lose it's stirrup irons and stirrup leathers, did they come off when the rider fell?
There are some good pictures of the riderless horse here.
I couldn't think of anything worse than having to go to a street party, but the girls went to one and apparently they had a really good time. The star of the day for me (apart from the horse) Samantha Cameron. She looked lovely, very smart but not dressed to upstage anyone and she was brave enough not to wear a hat. I have a deep dislike of hats and there were some truly hideous examples at the wedding yesterday. During the service I noticed a woman in a huge black tilted creation that totally obscured the view of the people sitting behind her - totally selfish! Apparently some people are saying that Samantha Cameron was disrespectful for not wearing a hat. I don't think so. As far as I am concerned the outfit worn by another politician's spouse was far more disrespectful with a plunging neckline, and another wore a white dress with black dots that proved see through and showed her underwear. Why did that make the story of the Emperors New clothes come to mind? Maybe because her husbands policies are no more substantial than that dress!
I love lazy Sunday mornings, the rest of the day is usually busy but that extra couple of hours in bed is really special. This morning we found ourselves discussing Robbie's funeral of all things. No, he hasn't driven me to extreme measures yet! I am not sure how we got on to the subject; I think Robbie was talking about his will - such a cheerful little chap!
Perhaps Robbie was thinking about funerals due to the demise of Pauline Fowler – we had disagreed about the horse drawn hearse! He said that the ‘proper’ way was to wear black and to be solemn and dignified. I have sadly had quite a lot of experience of funerals and I genuinely believe that they should be a celebration of a life well lived (however short) and if the person has a faith then it is a beginning not an ending.
I told Robbie that he would have to outlive me otherwise everyone would wear bright clothes at his funeral and we would dance and sing ‘happy clappy’ hymns. I was joking of course (I don’t dance) but he was horrified and insisted that he would leave special instructions in his will! It won’t do him any harm to leave him wondering, you never know, he may find that he prefers my way in the end!
One of the things Robbie and I disagree profoundly on is God. I wouldn't say that we argue as such, we just trade insults! Robbie says that I am too 'happy clappy' and I say that he thinks doctrine has something to do with the NHS! Robbie's God is white, Anglo Saxon, C of E and most definitely male! I still find it hard to believe that inside my unconventional husband there is a traditionalist fighting to get out!
I have no time for all the pomp and ceremony, but Robbie loves it especially the candles and the incense. I am not outwardly unconventional in the way that Robbie is, but deep down I am perhaps more of an individual than him, I have strong, deeply held opinions/beliefs and I won’t follow the majority view unless I believe it is right. I think the conventional term for people like me is 'stubborn'!!
Jumping to a completely different subject, I am pleased to confirm that the Rabbit has been recaptured and (relative) harmony reigns in our household – for the time being anyway!
