QUEEN ELIZABETH 2nd GOLDEN JUBILEE
Monday June 3rd, Tuesday June 4th 2002
It’s around 1.15 in the afternoon of Monday 3rd July, sitting having a sandwich and drink on Hyde Park, we’ve just missed the gun salute and the launching of ‘All You Need is Love’ but no matter there’s plenty to come over the next 30 hours.
Wander along the bank of the Serpentine hoping for a another chorus of ‘All you need is Love’, but no luck. The rain starts, just a drizzle but gradually gets somewhat heavier. Music is all around, coming from the 5 BBC stages around the waters edge. The jazz stage sounds a bit predictable and uninteresting, so move on. Across the bridge and along the opposite bank of the Serpentine…… led on by some strange and wonderful music coming from the nearest stage. It’s marked ‘Australasia’ and we know nothing of Australasian music.
This music is compelling, exciting and alive…. We join the crowd to watch and listen to an Aborigine group performing their traditional music and dance, comprising only didgeridoo and percussion topped with rich, strong voices……. The dancing is flamboyant and at times suggestive, the music pounds along, the richness of the sound from the didgeridoo is unexpected… it resounds across the park, it takes on a life of its own and strikes a chord deep down somewhere, lifting spirits and overcoming the rain which is now falling heavily.
The song man demonstrates a series of clapping and hand movements for the audience to try…. Calls out “What’s the magic word….” The crowd call back “Sa-Sa……”
This music has hit its mark…… it’s inspirational music. Even though we don’t understand the words or significance of the dance and mimes it has an impact, it is
music of the heart and spirit, uplifting music, inspirational music….. must find out more about this music, check the internet and find some cd’s or videos.
The sounds are still reverberating around in the consciousness somehow… the echoes of a homeland music…. of a homeland I’ve never visited… yet it is so compelling,
so ‘at home’…… this level of connection must mean something…. it really is a small world.
Moving on from the Australasian stage, we reach a stage bedecked with huge black and orange decoration. There are chairs on stage but no people…. There are instruments set up, including a harp and two koras. As we take up a position the band is introduced…. This is the African stage, we are told that the music we are going to hear is a hybrid of traditional African themes and styles melded to more European jazz stylings. The band take the stage and start, quiet, dreamy music….. something of an anticlimax after the Aborigines. Still, it is very easy to listen to…. Features mainly woodwind and hand drums, the koras not coming over particularly well. Nice to listen to, but veering towards wallpaper music……pleasant but does not inspire or connect in any way.
After a while we decide it’s time to wander off, see what’s happening at the Palace and go to the hotel to get ready for the evening.
We arrive at Buckingham Palace…. There are stages everywhere… Green Park, The Mall….. there is a queue forming to get into the ‘Party in the Palace’ already. The crowds are building up…. Some listening to the music on the various stages, others getting comfortable for the evening, yet others just wandering round soaking up the atmosphere. There is something in the air…….. there is entertainment everywhere around….. London is in party mood…. we know we are standing on the edge of something very special….. we can feel the expectation in the air….. everyone seems to be poised, ready for the events to come in some four hours time,
Enjoying the ‘here and now’ but still waiting for the ‘main event’ of the evening.
We go to check in to the hotel, should be 10 minutes walk away, but we take the wrong road…. Seems a long way. We book in and go to our room in the basement…
Have trouble with the lights… cant work out how it they work. We get that sorted out and get sorted out ready for the evening. This is not up to usual Holiday Inn standards, but it’s quite cheap for the area and will do nicely.
We leave and walk back towards Victoria, take the right road this time and it seems much nearer. We need a meal, so we head for the dining area on Victoria Station. Spoilt for choice…..KFC? Pizza? Hot Potato? Baguette?….. finally settle on a pizza, which proves a good choice, excellent pizza, very filling, sets you up nicely for the party ahead.
We leave the station and head for the Palace, looking in souvenir shops for a flag to wave. We only see the cheapo plastic ones, so decide to leave it. We get back to the Palace, music resounding from the stages and the crowds still growing…. People are either settling into place or walking around, seemingly aimlessly, but checking out the best spots….. I’m now feeling excited about the concert…… We check out the spaces, still plenty of good spots to be had, so we go off to the toilet and join the queues….. then head back to the party.
As we approach the Victoria Monument the band is playing vibrant, patriotic
Music….. ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ ‘Dambusters March’. This is stirring stuff and raises spirits, already high from the atmosphere and anticipation. This music always has an emotional connection, but in these circumstances, this is elevated to another plain. There’s joy, excitement and honest to goodness patriotism in the air….. it’s wonderful to be English in this situation….. the national pride is there to be seen and felt.
We find a good spot, facing the Palace, to the left of the Victoria Monument. We are on a kerbstone, so we are a couple of inches above those in front, and we have a barrier behind us to lean on. We have a good, clear view of the big screen on the corner of the Palace forecourt, and can see the one behind, on the Mall, if we turn round.
The atmosphere is getting better and better….. the feelings of anticipation are reaching new heights. It is now around half past six, a tall, skinny Amarican guy appears in front of us, carrying a child, and asks ‘is there something going on, or are you all just looking at the castle’. It is difficult to answer him seriously. We tell him there is a concert to celebrate the Jubilee. He asks ‘Who is on?’…… we list a few names, he wonders where he can get tickets…… then wanders off never to be seen again.
Mean while, a Gospel Choir has started to sing from the stage behind. They tear into a couple of gospel standards but they have not got the full attention of the crowd, everyone is focusing on the screens, on the Palace, waiting…. waiting…. this is going to be a special evening. The choir go into a new song, new to me at least, which sums up the jubilee – ‘fifty golden years’……It is both a celebration and prayer for the Queen and again raises the levels of expectations and I believe of patriotism. This song gets a reprise and is to be heard several times more over the next 24 hours. It focuses the crowd on the reason we are there….. red, white and blue is to be seen everywhere….. hats, flags, clothes, dyed hair and painted faces……. Meanwhile… the clock is ticking as the gospel choir continue to perform their own brand of joyous music.
Then….. the announcement…. The BBC are to transmit that evenings episode of ‘Eastenders’ over the big screens…… at seven o’clock a well-known theme tune
echoes across the Mall……. The Mitchells, Fowlers et al entertain (some of) the crowd until showtime.
It’s half past seven…. The closing credits of ‘Eastenders’ have faded away….. it’s showtime….. you want to cheer to release the excitement and tensions that have grown together in your head…. You need to shout out or cheer but at this moment there is nothing there….. this is the brief calm before the storm. The screens turn red with the Jubilee logo…… the crowd is now silent, concentrating on the screens…. The station announcer and opening credits have little impact here, then, suddenly, in a hail of electronics we see the pictures of Brian May high over the concert arena, over the roof of the Palace and here the familiar strains of ‘God Save the Queen’ played in a way we have not heard them before – echoes of Jimi, but more tuneful and strangely appropriate. The cheer that has been waiting in the throat for (what seems) so long now escapes and there is a roar of welcome, of celebration, of pure joy from the Mall – the feeling inside the arena must be astounding….. it is electrifying on the Mall.
Brian is picked out against the early evening sky…. The earlier rain has long gone….. the sky looks optimistic and we are into the concert.
The first act hits the stage to a mixture of delight and puzzlement…. ‘who is he’ is the question on my lips. The rhythms are latin American…. There is a girl in a Brazil football shirt dancing wildly and looking to the crowd for approval…. Nobody takes much notice of her and she stops, wanders away…. The suggestion is this could be Ricky Martin…..
As act follows act the atmosphere remains warm, welcoming and positive, but the acts are not really connecting….. perhaps it’s the remoteness of watching on big screens….perhaps it’s because it’s still daylight…. perhaps the early acts are not too good….. but inside the arena everyone seems to be rocking….. must my age…. these artists are a newer younger generation to me.
As the evening wears on things get better and better, strangely two old timers, both Welsh, inject the first real passion into the performance…. Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey. Neither to my taste but you cant argue with the effort put in. The result is that everything is being cranked up through the gears, any chances of this being an anti-climax have gone. Even Bryan Adams does not offend me with his performance – though I still hate that song – which was, to be generous, not good.
It is impossible to remember the running order or all of the acts….. some make major impacts, others just appear, do there stuff and go and some are majestic. The comperes do their bit…. Lenny Henry, Ben Elton and Edna Everage all deliver the goods, good hearty laughs from all. However, pity about those two Indian women who don’t raise a single chuckle and are greeted with apparent apathy, and Ruby Wax is not much better
During the concert there is a sudden rush and cheering on the Mall to our right…. Only one thing could cause such a reaction….. the Queen has arrived. Sure enough, within minutes the Union Flag is lowered and the Royal Standard raised proudly above the Palace…. Once again the pride of Nationality rises and we all feel about two feet taller.
Dame Edna Everage appears on stage and announces to the crowd that ‘The Jubilee Girl’ has now arrived and we see pictures of the Queen taking her seat in the Royal Box in the Arena. The roar from the Mall was probably heard miles away, had there been a roof it would have been blown away….. this was a magical moment, the first time we have seen Her Majesty today, the first chance for everyone to show her the genuine warmth and affection we feel for the Lady.
The main musical memories for me are connected to the veteran performers…. Those who I was listening to and watching in my youth, teens and twenties….. this is the music that for me connects on all levels and has the most impact.
Elton is shown on film – it shouldn’t matter watching on screens I suppose - … last time I heard Elton sing live was also on the Mall, a cold sunny morning, September 6th 1997…… but that was a very different occasion and belongs to another memory.
During Eltons song, there is a gasp from the crowd…. We are transfixed…. The Palace has been colour-washed with lights and turned into a birthday cake pink fantasy palace. We try to cheer but this is awesome…. The cheer sticks and we stick to a loud gasp…… the evening has been terrific so far, this propels it even higher……
Can things really get any better.
Queen are terrific… I’d never liked them before, but their short, full tilt set makes me realise I’ve missed out. Crowd-pleaser anthems such as ‘Radio ga-ga’ and ‘We are the Champions’ plus a spectacular ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’…… well received all round and a set to turn the heat up considerably.
Brian Wilson is introduced…… haven’t seen the Beach Boys for 30 years….. great to see the man on stage again. The joy of hearing Brian in good voice again is muted slightly by the fact he looks so wasted….. we know he’s been seriously ill, but this is a bit of a shock… the music however, soars and sweeps around the Mall and although the weather is getting cooler now, this take the temperatures back up, conjuring up images of sun-kissed beaches and, inevitably Good Vibrations. Maybe inappropriate for the occasion, but what the hell, it may be American music, but it’s real feel-good music
Joe Cocker performs ‘ With a Little Help from my Friends’….. somewhat appropriate for the night and one of the highlights…… Stevie Winwood appears and performs ‘;Gimme Some Loving’ and the wonderful Ray Davies, resplendent in Union Jack jacket comes out and gives us ‘Lola’. We all sing ‘l-o-l-a-Lola’ with gusto. Last time I saw Ray live he announced his retirement ……glad he didn’t stick to it.
Eric appears, the harshness of his ‘70’s sound replaced by a warm but still rocking style, inevitably ‘Layla’….. inevitably quality stuff, and Rod Stewart does well after recovering from his illness.
As the evening wears on, we see countless top stars from the fields of Rock and Pop,
This concert has been truly magnificent, the music, the crowds, everything has come together like a dream to produce a night of magic befitting a Golden Jubilee…..once again we are thinking ‘can it get any better than this’…. And as the evening progresses, somehow it does, it gets better…….. McCartney tops the evening off and delivers ‘Her Majesty’ from Abbey Road….. it looked unrehearsed, wonder if anyone knew he was going to do it, and a slightly lame ‘Blackbird’.
George Martin comes on stage and delivers a tribute to George Harrison…… curiously out of place, but somehow appropriate….. and introduces Eric and Macca playing ‘While my Guitar Gently Weeps’ – of course Eric played the guitar on the Beatles record. Always a standout track, beautifully delivered, and the atmosphere is now so high I swear we are floating….. there are tears in the eye during this piece…. Partly for the music which hits the mark from the ‘off’……partly in memory of George but probably mainly for the pure joy of being privileged to be here to see and hear this…. Surely things cant get any better now……
Wrong……. Acoustic guitar chimes the National Anthem, I think it’s all over, and on what a high….. but no…. the musicians have ripped into John’s ‘All You Need is Love’…. As the verse ends there is a great intake of breath, everyone sings… this is not just lets sing a chorus… this is head-back and let it rip….. it is coming from deep within, from the heart, the message is so clear….. this has rekindled a decayed dream from 30 years ago…. This a truly awesomely magic moment…. Singing ‘All You Need is Love’ with the ultimate super-group and the biggest crowd ever… and feeling that everyone feels something of the same emotions…. This is probably the biggest high ever…….another verse, another chorus and the volume is even greater….. This time there are definitely tears in the eye and, I’m sure, an idiotic ear to ear grin….. somehow the music takes us to another level….. it’s not just the music however, throughout the night, there has been a clear and abiding love for the Queen…. The Jubilee is alive and well, and it is that that has brought everyone together, the music has put the icing on the cake and given us lift-off…….
All good things come to an end….. the final piece of music is ‘Hey Jude’…..a great sing-a-long piece, Paul and the band are strong, and the audience gathered on the Mall are going ‘La la la lalala la…Hey Juuuuuude’ for all they are worth. If the atmosphere on the Mall could be bottled it would be beyond price…. You have to be there to feel it…..you can see it and touch it…… you can taste it ……. And it’s pure magic. It is a real privilege to be here to be part of this.
Before the encore, Prince Charles takes the microphone and pays tribute to the Queen,
We see it on the screens, he faces her, and starts ‘Your Majesty….Mummy!’….. she looks taken aback…. A bit embarrassed maybe….. the crowd loves it….. we all laugh and cheer are pleased to see the Queen, recovered for this opening, looking relaxed and happy.
The Queen leaves the podium and gets into a limousine to head out into the Mall to light the beacon and start the fireworks. We see the candlelight parade setting off on the screens, then they are in front of us…. From where we stand we see the lanterns, here the music, we see the roof of the royal car and the standard….. we cant see the Queen but cheer and wave anyway….. it’s like that now……
The screens show us the Queen emerging from her car, she’s some 50 yards behind us on the Mall….. the screens show her light the blue touch paper…… we see the fuse burn down…… then about 500 things happen simultaneously and it is mesmerising.
Out of the corner of my eye I see a rocket racing along a rope on the Mall, it slams into a box on the monument, the beacon explodes with a wall of flame and roar of sound…. While this happens fountains leap into life all around the Victoria Monument, the sound system bursts into life with joyous music, initially Presley. ….. I’d be singing along if I could think straight…..fireworks and rockets erupt from all round the monument, from the roof of the Palace, from Green Park and maybe other places too…… this all happens in a flash….. the noise, the colour, the evocative smell of fireworks…… we had thought things couldn’t get any better….. we were wrong again.
The opening salvo of the firework display has been electrifying……. We gasp, awestruck…… if we hadn’t been here to see this we’d never believe it….. the scale and spectacle are greater than I could have ever imagined…..
After the opening, as the senses start to regroup, the fireworks go into overdrive…..it is indescribable……the rockets lighting the heavens in glorious showers of colour and light, there are displays across the Palace roof, the effects created by the firework are beyond everyone’s wildest dreams…. the front of the palace is a backdrop to the most beautiful and spectacular images….. at times ropes of silver fire create the image of a waterfall brought alive by dazzling moonlight glistening on the waters, making it sparkle and glisten…… at other times it is more like a curtain of diamonds.
While this is going on, there are fountains of fire from the roof…. Silver, red, gold…..
The fountains around the monument burst once more into glorious life lit by the gold and silver light of countless fireworks all around……. Rockets soar high into the night sky and explode into a glorious tapestry of colour and explosion of sound. Meanwhile vast Catherine Wheels spin freely across the front of the Palace courtyard….. there is colour and light everywhere, wherever you look you know you are missing something somewhere else.
All the time the sound system is broadcasting the most glorious and uplifting music from the Queen’s reign…… this ranges from Presley, through the Beatles, Stones,
Queen, Cliff Richard,….. all songs we all know and love……. All music to quicken the pulse rate and bring smiles to every face.
Even though we are overwhelmed by this display, the crowning touch is the display of lights continually transforming the whole front elevation of the Palace….. we see Union Jacks displayed in light across the Palace, we see images of the Royal Family projected onto the walls….. images from the last 50 years, a review almost of the second great Elizabethan reign…… there are trains, cars, aircraft displayed as well as countless other images. In between the pictures the Palace is bathed in different coloured lights…… pink, blue, orange, yellow, green……… we have seen these colours on the Palace during the concert as well…… but perhaps the crowning moment is the conclusion when the entire front of the Palace is covered by a projection of the Royal Standard and the legend ‘1952 – 2002’.
It is normal at firework displays for the crowd to go ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ during a firework display….. this has been something else…… far more than a firework and ‘son et lumiere’ display……this has been a glorious celebration. Every new projection and volley of fireworks has brought loud roars of approval……the cheers at times almost cut off by the gasps of awe, the screams of ecstasy, and the roar of joy of being here, now…. Participating in a great moment in the history of our Country and our Monarch.
It is impossible to describe the emotions….. sure we’re impressed by the display, but it is far, far deeper than that…. This has raised us to a new high, moved us and inspired us and roused feelings either deeply buried or previously non-existent…. I feel nobody there that night can ever be quite the same again, cannot be unchanged,
cannot fail to have been enobled by the event.
As the last firework fades and the sound system finally signals the conclusion to the evening we are left fighting for breath….. the concert has been a triumph…. It has generated laughter, tears, pride and joy and the biggest high I can recall….. the fireworks have then topped it off. Looking around everyone is rooted to the spot,
Probably as overwhelmed as I am…. Probably as reluctant to move for fear of losing the feeling…… the fireworks have only lasted 15 minutes, but it has been the most spectacular, unbelievable elevating fifteen minutes I’ve witnessed. This whole evening is one we’ll never forget…… whatever happens, this night is something we have seen, been part of, and it has become a part of us.
Finally, as the crowd starts to move, we head slowly towards Victoria Station – there is not much choice in this…. The crowd sets off as one, all heading the same way…. Resistance would be useless. Knowing my mother was going to be watching, I phone to say ‘did you enjoy’….. it takes ages to get connected, everyone else has the same idea….. when I’m finally connected all I can manage is ‘Fireworks were good weren’t they’…….
We finally escape the crowds and head to the hotel, knowing we are planning to be back on the Mall in 5 hours time…….. On the way back, we wonder if what we have seen has really happened, and I am reluctant to sleep in case it has been a dream…..
We finally get to bed around half past midnight…… having set the alarms for four o’clock. We are both up with the alarm, sort ourselves out and head off through the as yet unaired and slowly lightening streets towards the Mall. We stop off at Victoria Station for some chocolate and chewing gum. At this time there are only a few people moving, it is a curiously quiet and peaceful time, as we get close to the Palace there is evidence of something about to happen…… on the Mall there are people curled up in sleeping bags, in tents or simply wrapped in their jackets….. most are sleeping still, others are stirring and one or two are up and ready for the day. We walk along and find a spot around fifty yards down the Mall, right on the railings at the front. On our right are a group of Japanese, Chinese and Thai ladies, spreading out an Oriental banquet, including sushi, of some magnitude for breakfast, to our left is a family with a youngster… they are still in their tent and looking well settled.
We sit down and lean on the railing, hoping for another hours sleep….. no chance…..the London weather being what it is, the heavens open and the rain pours down….. We know it cannot rain on this parade….. and it’s only five o’clock so there are five and a half hours to go before the parades start….. all will be well.
We are forced to stand up as the rain gets heavier…. We have a small orange juice and a chelsea bun for breakfast, then take it in turns to go to a toilet…. The crowds are already building up so this is not an easy project. Once we are settled the celebrity spotting starts….. Vanessa Feltz and her family walk past, looking for a place to watch the parade.
Despite the rain, we are happy and relaxed, (although somewhat cold) and with the adrenalin from last night still keeping us on a high, optimism is high…… we know this is going to be a special day…… we know the rain will stop…… and damn it, we are going to share this event with the Queen…..
It’s now around quarter past six….. the umbrellas are going down, smiles replace the worried looks scanning the sky, noticing breaks in the cloud. Gradually the quiet of the damp dawn is replaced by chatter as people start warm into the day, get to know their neighbours a bit. We are feeling good….. the anticipation of the day to come
keeps us interested in the surroundings. I feel everyone has the same sort of feelings….. the Mall is turning into a river of red, white and blue…… Union Flags and St George Crosses are everywhere.
The conversation is about the concert and fireworks the night before….. those of us who were there have a rosy warm glow to know we were part of it…… I wonder how the people inside the Palace grounds are feeling. Those who watched on tv are saying it looked marvellous and wishing they could have been there…..
It’s still early, but everyone is now fully awake and the party is warming up…… there is much coming and going on the Mall……. Delivery men, street sweepers, everyone moving on the Mall is getting a cheer and a wave from the crowds lining the barriers.
Most enjoy the moment of fame and popularity, some thrive on it.
The Police are on the Mall, basically for crowd control, but there is no need for a formal Police present in this atmosphere…… the officers are relaxed and friendly,
Being given cameras by spectators to take the souvenir shots that say ‘I was there’.
Gradually more and more people are appearing in the Mall……. A group of Town Criers appear, ringing there bells and proclaiming the Jubilee, groups of High Ranking Police and Military Officers appear, checking the last minute arrangements….still everyone is being cheered as they pass by.
Coaches appear from near the Palace….. filled with soldiers, airmen, sailors…….
All are cheered and the flag weaving grows to an epidemic….. many of the servicemen on the coaches are young, they look overwhelmed, as if the first site of the crowds have brought home to them the enormity of the day that they are about to grace. Others could be older, they take the noise and scenes of enthusiasm in their stride, waving back, acknowledging the cheers and thriving on the attention.
I am feeling the same things…… yes, of course this is a major day, but as the crowds develop and the party gets going, it becomes clear what a day we are involved in. The
Feeling is very much about supporting the Queen…… the big parades and concerts are a huge side show…… we are about to witness the real thing.
There is now sporadic singing and some people are trying to start Mexican waves, the Police Officers are co-ordinating the efforts and it’s ’our side of the road can do better than your side of the road’…. all orchestrated by the London Bobbies who are there to
Ensure that everyone has a good time, in safety…… and they are doing their bit in fine style.
A party of 4 beefeaters march down the Mall to the Palace…… they are cheered every step of the way….. I love to see the Yeoman Warders in the ceremonial scarlet uniforms and this is a highlight of the morning so far.
Other groups of guards are moving along the Mall, cutting impressive figures in their
Scarlet or Navy Uniforms, the patriotism and pride in our country is swelling again,
The atmosphere is getting warmer by the minute, the sight of the soldiers in dress uniforms is an inspiring site in the, now brighter, morning light.
Suddenly there is a cheer from our left, towards the Palace…… two Police outriders with blue lights flashing are leading a coach along the Mall……we wonder who could be on board, as it glides slowly by we see many faces, some familiar and well known, others less so, the ladies are all wearing impressive hats, some of the gentlemen are in uniform……. We wave and cheer in disbelief….. this is an ordinary coach party, the passengers looking out, watching the party on the streets around them, enjoying what they see…… but this is the Royal Family…… we recognise several faces, other people point out others…… the most distinctive figure is that of Princess Micheal, sitting near the back of the bus and smiling at the crowds.
The morning passes quickly, we have a radio, but there has been so much going on that it hasn’t been needed. The guards now march out onto the Mall… the route liners…. Everyone is thinking that they looks magnificent, but I hope they don’t stick one in front of me. We are lucky, half way between the guards. An officer comes along and moves the guards, sometimes less than an inch, so that they are in perfect position…. He is barking out orders and cajoling the guards, but when he gets close he has a quiet word for the individuals…… ‘mind the barriers when you about turn’
‘careful of the kerbs when you move off’ and ‘good luck’.
It is now 10.15….. the Mall is at it’s Patriotic, Ceremonial best…… lined 15 deep with happy spectators decked out in red white and blue, draped with Union Flags,
The honour guard at attention along the entire route…… this is a site worth seeing
For it’s own sake, regardless of what is to come. We are now ready for the main event, we are feeling the deep pride and patriotism that one would expect at a time like this….. we are excited, inspired…… but waiting…. the time is going quickly but we feel we are standing on the very brink of a storm of celebration, devotion, outpourings of love and about to witness a very great historical moment……
Three mounted police officers arrive, stop and wheel round to face the Palace…..a contingent of House Guards, in blue and silver form up behind….. we are seeing the great procession forming up…..the horses are getting skittish, they react badly, maybe to the big screens…. the riders fight to regain control and do so…. We see more soldiers lining up behind…….. we see open carriages but cannot see the passengers……suddenly it’s time….. the procession starts to move…..it’s rolling….. The guards regiments are riding or marching past……..suddenly …….Royal Salute……… the street liners take up the stance, the open carriages go past….we recognise the passengers…… Edward and Sophie with Princess Eugenie……Then Prince Andrew with the Young Princes William and Harry and Princess Beatrice…..
Then Peter and Zara Philips with Commander Townsend…. We have now spotted the top of the Gold Coach rounding the monument…… the bands are playing Zadok the Priest….this inspirational music splitting the sky with its power and pageantry…….the roars and screams of the crowd are growing…… on every inch of the Mall countless flags are waving…… thousands of voices, like ours, are raised in celebration….. the gold coach is here…… lined by postillians and beefeaters resplendent in immaculate red uniform……. in the coach, we first see Prince Philip,
Smiling and waving…… then the Queen leans forward, looks our way…. She is smiling broadly….. waving……. Looking so, so relaxed and happy. Your chest is now pounding…. Pride? Excitement? Love – of the Monarchy, the Country, of Life itself?…..probably all of that and more…. This is not a time to analyse feelings this is a time to cheer, a time to relish and a time to remember for ever……. This is the Queen, in her Golden Coach, celebrating her Golden Jubilee, and WE ARE HERE to share in it.
Are these tears of joy I feel?
Then the coach is past, moving along the Mall, the noise is fading slightly where the Queen has passed, and we hear it swelling along the Mall, as the Queen reaches the crowds further along…….
Behind ride Prince Charles and Princess Anne……. They are virtually unnoticed…. The Gold Coach has taken over the mind…… it is a fantasy, a glorious, golden fantasy, like something from Disney or a young childs dream, but this is real. The
scenes we have just witnessed have been truly astonishing…… we have been totally overwhelmed by the majesty of it all, the excitement is still intense….. the parade has now gone but the buzz and excitement can be seen…. We pinch ourselves….. no, this was real…… we thought last night was a high…..but wow, this was something truly exceptional…… this was so majestic, so magnificent, so beautiful…… everyone is
moved by it…… we are truly dazed……it will take some time to come back to earth now…..
As the procession continues, the roar travels along the Mall, along the entire route, cheering the Queen to the echo the whole way. The procession reaches St Pauls Cathedral, we crane round to watch the big screen as the service is broadcast, some of the crowd join in the hymn singing, most of the crowd join in as the Prime Minister is booed every time he appears on the screen.
We are now into the formal and religious part of the day, the euphoria eases and we start to come back to earth. We are talking to a South African guy behind, he was thrilled yesterday when his daughter phoned him on his mobile to say she had just seen him on television walking on St James Park, Today his mother has phoned him to say that she has been watching the Royal Procession and has spotted him on the Mall…….. his day is made.….!
Around this time, there is a cheer moving along the Mall from Admiralty Arch, as we crane round to see what is happening, we see the Gold Coach, now empty, being returned to its honme in the Mews…. It is cheered every inch of the way.
A fleet of vehicles approaches and turns off into St James Palace….. we assume that they are empty……
After a reasonable delay, the lunch at the Guildhall underway, the Mall echoes to the throb of reggae and calypso…… this is not the rebel music of a Marley or Tosh, this is uplifting ‘Brotherhood/One World’ music, almost pure Gospel with a reggae beat…..we are seeing the Notting Hill Carnival. The displays are new to me, it is a joyous parade…. People carrying vast, multi-coloured butterfly wings, groups dancing, acrobats, the olds and the very young, all dressed in carnival finery and having a ball as they fill the Mall with colour, sound and above all, joy.
You cant help cheering and clapping the displays…..it is a fantastic parade…… it has been going past for some time, we have seen a vast array of people who have clearly made colossal efforts to produce these wonderful floats and costumes. The individuals respond to the applause and cheers of the crowd, the music is throbbing away and we are transfixed by this new, and very different spectacle…… if we’d come down just to see this parade we would have been thrilled with our day out.
The leading figures have long since left the Mall and finished their parade….. we look at the big screens and see that the carnival still stretches up to and beyond Admiralty Arch. The sheer scale of this is mesmerising,
I thought that watching this Parade would be a pleasant way to pass some time between the main events, it has proved to be magnificent, everyone has responded enthusiastically to it, and everyone is cheering and showing their excitement.
The sequence of events for the next part of the afternoon is a blur…… these things happened, but not necessarily in this order…….
We are watching the parade disappear, someone shoutsout that Prince William is shaking hands with members of the crowd…. We all crane necks to see the screens,
We scan the dias by the Victoria Monument…… we suddenly look across the Mall, and there is Prince Charles, now in a dark lounge suit, strolling ahead f his detectives talking to the crowd…… there is a cheer which rises dramatically as we see William, and Harry are with him, talking to the crowds and shaking hands. We are ecstatic…..
I am just trying to take a bit of video of the Princes when the lens is filled by a waistcoat……. And I hear a familiar yet unknown voice asking what time we arrived, I move the camera and am face t face with Prince Edward, who is chatting with Jane….He comes over as a very pleasant, friendly guy, and is creating a great impression….. however, just behind him is Sophie Wessex, she is also passing the time of day with the crowd, and after a quick ‘hello’ she is gone, by his side. I hadn’t realised before what n attractive woman she is. We have now spotted Prince Andrew across the Mall, someone behind yells ‘Andrew!’…. he turns, waves and comes straight over, he is talking to the people to out left, with Eugenie and Beatrice standing quietly behind him. Princess Anne walks past, some 4 or 5 feet away from us, smiling and waving to the crowd……. She is also looking very relaxed and attractive…… it seems only seconds…….but we have been within a few feet of three of the Queens children, one of their wives, and two of the Grandchildren.
We are overwhelmed, as we watch their steady progress along the Mall, waving, shaking hands, and enjoying the day. The lasting impression is of a family at peace with the world, totally relaxed, and enjoying being out on the street meeting the people,….. perhaps nearly as much as we are enjoying seeing them.
We are now convinced that things cant get any better, that the day has peaked…..
Surely everything else must now be anticlimax……. Wrong!!!…..Again!!!….
The strains of 50 Golden Years come floating down the Mall…… this time performed acapella by a 5000 voice Gospel choir….. the lady in front, leading, is simply gorgeous……looking so happy and clearly loving the limelight and the atmosphere as she leads the choir…….. we later realise this is Patti Boulaye….. as the choir goes past, the voices are raised in joyous song, celebrating the Jubilee. This parade is different…. There are singers taking photographs of the crowds….. the singing is
wonderful…… the atmosphere created is wonderful, we are all swept along with the mood.
After the choir have gone, the children of the Chicken Shed Theatre Group go past,
Paying their own special tribute to the Queen.
We notice a number of armed police officers make their way along the Mall, and are thinking .please don’t let there be any trouble….’ But we needn’t have worried…….
We suddenly spot the Duke of Kent with Princess Alexandra walking along the opposite side of the Mall, to our right we see a tall lady, long blonde hair, chatting easily to the crowds…….it’s Princess Michael of Kent…….Jane says ‘Isnt she lovely’…. She comes closer, stops and chats to us for a few moments, and we shake hands… Prince Micheal adds his greeting then she moves on to the next group…. It must be about 10 minutes before I can agree that ‘yes, she is gorgeous’…… it cant remember feeling like this… I am smitten by the Princess, she seems a really lovely person…..My reverie is disturbed by the sound of the Duke of Gloucester saying hello as he ambles along, then I realise that the Duchess of Gloucester is in front of us, we tell her that we are having a wonderful day, and thank her for stopping, she says that it
Is the crowds on the Mall that make the day special, for herself and the whole Royal Family. She then makes her way along the crowds heading to join the Royal Party on the dais at the foot of the Victoria Monument.
We have now seen the film of the Queens car approaching the Mall on the return journey…. The car stops outside Admiralty Arch and the car is converted into an open-top with the Queen and Prince Phillip standing up to receive the crowds cheers….. the TV announcer says that they will be escorted by the River of Gold…..hundreds of children, decked out in golden t-shirts, running alongside the car.
The effect of this is mesmerizing…. The temperature has soared…… the atmosphere is now so electrifying it cannot be imagined…… the Queen is coming closer…. closer…..I have been filming and taking photos all day…… now with the Queen in front of me, I am too busy waving, cheering and celebrating to actually point the camera…… doesn’t matter really…… I am revelling in the moment…… the Queen is there, on the car, some 6 or 8 feet away…… my flag is waving itself… I have no control over this….. the noise of the crowd is deafening, the Queen must be bowled over by it…… literally……she is looking so relaxed… so happy….. it reflects back on the crowd and we are thrilled for her….. and for ourselves….. this has been the ultimate moment, seeing the Queen like this…. She is only a human woman, a wife, grandmother, a mother………but she represents so much more….. thrughtout her reign she has been a credit to the nation…..no wonder we are so proud to be English….. this day has shown the greatness is still there, for anyone who wants to see.
As the Queen heads towards the dias, the band is playing ‘Consider Yourself’ from ‘Oliver!’… the crowd are roaring out the words….. ‘consider yourself…. Our mate’
We are singing to the Queen, she has stolen everyones hearts this afternoon, the day has been an enormous triumph…… and it is still not over.
It is clear that everyone had come to show their admiration and love for the Queen, and everyone has done so, it glorious style.
As the Queen her seat with her family, on the dias by the monument, the next parade starts, this time the Servicemans Parade…… We are still high from seeing the Queen during the ‘River of Gold’ parade, and wondering if the next parades are going tobe a bit of an anticlimax.
As the parade goes on, it is clear that this is a parade to honour everyone who provides a service to the public, it starts with the AA……. And includes a cross section of services….. including nurses, midwifes, the Emergency Services, the military – a nice touch to see the Army, Airforce and Navy marching side by side –
The response to the parade is a bit muted after what has gone before….. everyone is happy enough and enjoying it, but it is lower key now, one or two groups do inspire a reaction : the ex-servicemen, wearing their medals and regimental colours marching proudly, the men Of the Ghurka Regiment and especially the Chelsea Pensioners…..a large group of men, looking magnificent in their scarlet tunics….. the older, more frail
Men at the back riding mobility scooters, obviously nothing was going to keep them away from this parade.
After the service parade comes the 50 Golden Years Parade……. A series of floats and tableaux representing the fashions and developments of the last 50 years. Each of the main floats displays a typical family of the decade, displaying typical furniture, fashions and even foods. Between the floats are groups of people driving the cars of the era, and other groups wearing the various fashions of the time. Early on there are cries of ‘that’s whatsisname….’ Or ‘she looks familiar….’ And we are spotting a whole range of celebrities both on the floats and in the walking groups….. the celebrities are from the worlds of sport, television, theatre…… many we see but cant put a name to…. others we don’t notice… and others a very familiar and easily recognised – including the likes of Jimmy Saville, Willie Carson, Bill Roache (Ken Barlow) Barbara Windsor, Nick Faldo, Alan Titchmarsh……..
Following on from this is the Commonwealth Peoples parade….. the last Parade before the longed for balcony appearance and flypast…… by now the parades are taking second place to the anticipation of the finale, a pleasant distraction, enjoyable, but not as riveting as the events earlier in the day….. unfortunately each group comes along, but does not carry any identification…… are these people from Jamaica….. or Burundi……. or Malaysia……….. it would have been nice if these people, so proud to be representing their countries, had been identifiable and we could see which country they were representing…… still, we did recognise the group of Aborigines we had listened to the previous day…. They were still dancing, still singing, still infectious in the approach….. and seemed to get a particularly good reception.
As the parade finished we were aware of the Police leading a tidal wave of people along the Mall, two lines of officers walking slowly along, the masses of people from the Mall and further back filing quietly, peacefully along behind them. We are thinking please let the Police open the barrier in front of us…… let us get out near the front of this mass of humanity heading for the Palace to celebrate….. joy of joys….
As the Police pass us, the officer nearest us removes the barrier in front of us and we are among the mass in the middle of the Mall, moving slowly towards the Palace, only 20 feet or so from the front of the group.
We are moving along the Mall, and the Police hold the crowds up again at the Victoria Monument……. The bands are playing, for some reason they are playing ‘You’ll never walk alone’…. The whole crowd is joining in, the atmosphere has been recharged, it is again electric, the singing, the anticipation are building up for everyone. We look at the big screens and for the first time are aware of the scale of this event…… the picture on the screen shows the crowds on the Mall….. there is no space this side of Admiralty Arch……
We see pictures of the Chicken Shed children leading the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh back into the Palace grounds, we see the unveiling of the new Balcony
Drapes…. Then the Police move forward again… we are moving around the monument…. Ever closer to the Palace….. we end around 20 feet from the rails just left of centre….. this will be perfect…… all eyes are trained on the doors behind the balcony…… there are sporadic crowds of ‘We want the Queen’ then the crowd is settled….. everyone is in their place…… the sporadic cries grow to a full chant from the crowds…. ‘we want the Queen…. We want the Queen’….. this changes into the National Anthem, sung at full tilt by millions of people….. it shakes you to hear the passion and power…… it is one of the most exciting moments ever….. the National Anthem changes to ‘Land of Hope and Glory’…..then back through the Anthem, and more chanting for the Queen. Suddenly there is movement behind the glass door….. the door opens….. we see the bright pink of the Queens suit in the room behind….. a sudden silence….. eerie and breathtaking….. then the Queen is on the balcony….. waving….. the roar of appreciation and affection almost blows her back….. the noise is terrific…… all around us is a mass of waving Union Flags….. a mass of people cheering and roaring for the Queen……. Another wave…… and the whole family come out onto the balcony……. Eyes are now straying along the Mall for the flypast….. the Royal eyes seem to be now searching the skies…… then a light appears at the end of the Mall….. getting closer…… the first plane in the flypast…..
I don’t recognise the aircraft, but as it roars overhead join in the cheering anyway…… a whole range of aircraft fly along the line of the Mall and roar overhead and away beyond the Palace…… then…… the one we have been waiting for… bright lights behind Admiralty Arch…… vapour streamers in red, white and blue behind…..
Concorde screaming along the Mall, leading a formation of Red Arrows trailing their red, white and blue streamers……. I’ve always admired the Concorde, it always makes me feel good to see it overhead……. I’ve always been in awe of the Red Arrows – an exhilarating spectacle at any time…… but at the end of this day, this magnificent, moving, exhilarating spectacle of pomp, pageantry and real fun, this spectacle is overwhelming….. you cant believe how low they are flying…… as the aircraft roar overhead the roars of admiration actually drown out the sound of the aircraft…….a magnificent end to proceedings.
The Queen is still on the Balcony with her family…. Clearly thrilled by the flypast…..
And clearly thrilled by the reception she has received……. The crowd does not want to go…. The Queen does not seem to want to move on…… we continue to cheer and sing for all of our worth while the Queen stands and waves and acknowledges the love being showered onto her……. Finally the family move back inside, leaving the Queen alone on the Balcony….. one more look around… one more wave and she has gone…….
We want more…. The singing and cheering grows even louder……suddenly the doors open again….. the Queen and Prince Philip are back on the Balcony and the decibel level is raised a few more notches….. we are thrilled, exhilarated….. finally the Queen goes back inside, it is over……..we stand a few moments in awe of what we have been involved in, then reality gets a look in….. we move slowly onto Green Park to sort ourselves out….. it is raining gently again now….. we realise that it is quarter past seven at night…… we have been standing up for over 14 hours……we sink wearily to the grass….. finally have another carton of fruit juice….. and another…..and we sort ourselves out and get ready to head to the tube to go back to the car to come home.
We are exhausted…… it has been worth it……. The whole event has been thoroughly magnificent……. The pride of being English at a time like this….. the honour to have, in some small way, been part of what has been a historical event….. we know that this event will be talked about for many many years….. and we were there, part of it…..we saw it…… we saw the love the people have for this Monarch….. it was truly uplifting.
We ask why we went…… there are no answers to that…… it was the Queens Golden Jubilee….. we had to be there…… it was not a decision, it was something we just knew on a higher plane.
It is now around midnight, we are at Birchanger Green Services on the M11……the events of the last two days are swirling around our heads…… still cant believe the Firework Display……. It was just phenomenal….. the actual fireworks…… the fantastic light displays over the Palace….. How did they do that?….. Whatever happens now, no-one can rob me of the knowledge that I have been there to see the greatest firework and light display that has ever been. This is a memory to treasure, talk about and share.
The concert was magnificent, ok so not everyone played to their best,, and I didn’t like some of the acts…… none of that matters…. The event was far greater than the individual moments
The main purpose of the event was to celebrate the Queen, and the greatest memories that will live must be to see the Gold Coach approaching, like a vision from a fairy tale, with the Queen inside looking relaxed and happy waving to the crowds……then the river of gold as the Queen stood on the platform of an open vehicle, again looking relaxed and happy, smiling and waving to everyone individually.
The noise was just unreal…… the roar when the Queen appeared at the Concert……the sound of a million people gasping in awe at the incredible firework display….. the cheer at the arrival of the Gold Coach…….partly awe at the vehicle, partly joy at seeing the Queen…... the incredible sound of the singing of the anthems and Land of Hope and Glory during the Parades and the balcony appearance.
Overall, this was a triumph, a magnificent two days, two days to raise the spirits, to bring joy and love to everyone’s hearts…..to inspire, to thrill and to excite, to make one proud to be british and proud to have been a humble part of the event
