“I’ve Been Up To London To Visit The Queen”
I was genuinely very pleased to be asked by our Chairman, along with Valerie and John Gillespie (and others who were unable to attend), to represent Nottinghamshire at a reception at St. James’s Palace, hosted by our patron the Queen, and superbly organised by Melanie Owers and her team at Head Office, to celebrate CPRE’s 80th anniversary. Just for once my husband was to be an accompanying person! We weren’t thin on the ground, being 500 strong, but I was even more pleased to be one of the 100 or so selected to be presented to Her Majesty.
We arrived slightly earlier than we ought, but joined a lengthening queue (that included Monty Don) outside the palace, and were shortly admitted after our several forms of identification had passed muster. It was with a sense of pleasant anticipation that we mounted the grand staircase, accompanied by music from a harpist and flautist, past a magnificent display of autumnal leaves and berries, through the highly impressive armoury, caught sight of the anniversary display stand in the Tapestry room, and entered the Queen Anne room. Canapes and drinks had been chosen with great care to reflect CPRE’s support for local foods, and Waitrose’s helpful sponsorship of this event. Red carpets muffled footsteps, gold shone, mirrors glittered and the chatter of people with a common interest increased in volume.
At length the double doors opened and the Queen entered, tiny, white-haired and smart in an off-white and pale sage suit. Everyone was grateful to see her since she had recently pulled a back muscle and had cancelled an investiture that morning, but she generously had a quick word with all presentees. I muttered something about protecting our Green Belts and urban regeneration, shook her gloved hand, and shortly after she departed, for her dinner no doubt.
It was a special way to thank our many members who give so much of their time so freely, and to those of you who were not there, you will, I hope, feel the gratitude of the society by osmosis from this article – not much compensation, I must admit!
Rosamund Macfarlane
November 2006
