Does Britain still need a monarchy?

Introduction -

Although this event was staged a while ago,June the 3rd 2002 to be exact,I felt that it held some value and with Husban's help I decided to write this op.I feel it has relevance especially in view of the ciao cafe catagory about the need for a monarchy in this country,and although it shouldn't stricly be in this catagory I hope you'll permit leaniancy in veiw of the lack of a more apropriate one.
The decision to hold the "Party at the Palace" was probably one of the wisest made by our Queen in rescent years.The whole concept of the events,was to hold two concerts,one classical and one rock concert.These were to be staged over a two day period,and to attended by 20,000 people from accross the country,and indeed from other coutries.The events were to be funded by the BBC (the one good point of thiers!!)and in turn they would hold the telivising rights to the events.
Tickets were allocated using several methods,including an online application.The online application is how my hubby came by his invitation.

I applied on line,for myself,my husband and my parents,and fairly quickly was notified that my husband had susessfully been incvited to the rock concert.The invitaion arrived ,along with alot of information and forms to fioll in if he wished to take a guest along.Unfortunatelt because of our children it was not possible for us both to go so he took along his freind.He was required to give details of his freind and accept/decline the invite fairly quickly,by means of a phone line.It was a £1 for the phone call,of which the whole amount was donated to charity(good show!!).
He acceped and within a few days an official (and very posh!!) invitation on an embossed card arrived,tickets and information litrature.A booklet also came offerening very reduced hotel rates across London for the night of the concert.
Although tubes were being kept running all night to accomodate the concerts,travelling back late at night to Nottingham would present a bigger problem as would being able to park if he went by car.The rates were very resonable and they booked a hotel for the night.I'll tell you more about that later.

One of the best things about my dear hubby being invited,is that he's hardly someone who comes accross as a Royalist.In fact with his shaven head,many tattoos and abrupt manner,added to a large and tall torso,he's actually quite an ominous person in appearance and manner.Also being 40 years old,he was brought up when Royals wre accpeted and admired,but he failed to have any particular notice or respect for them,especially in light of the more rescent troubles they had had.The prospect of having a gracious and honouring invite to a concert that over two million people applied for immediately changed his notice of them,and his freinds too.It was nice to note too,that even before applying for the tickets his interest in the concerts and the fact they were being held had already inspired a little more interest in the Queen and her whole position.

The day of the concert approached and he had groomed himslef into a very presentable subject,organised all the nessecaries for the trip and got himself into a state becoming of a child at christmas.Many nights were spent with himself and his freind chattering away like kids about the pending event.The invites had appropriately been given place of honour on our living room wall and they were ready for the off.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Arrival -

Arriving fairly early in the afternoon at about 3.30pm,there wqas queue to get in,but it moved well and soon my hubby and his mate were handing over their tickets and ID (reuired) and walking through the impressive rooms of Buck Palace.They located thier seats and relaxed to the jamming sessions and pre party entertainment that was occuring all around.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The pic-nic -

Shortly after arrival they were issued with the obligatory pic-nic,two beer tickets and a half bottle of champage.A special rain mac was even included.
The food was peresnted in a lovely cooler back,navy blue with gold print.Inside was an assortment of food including strawberries and cream,jubilee chicken,oat cakes and souviner chocolates.
The idea being that this delightful spread could be consumed on the lawns,which indeed it was,although a half bottle of champagne made it back home to me!
One thing that tickled me pink,was the story my hubby and his freind tell me about smoking.As they are both smokers,and it was to be a long afternoon,they were inevitable gasping for a cigarette.Not to be preturbed by the fact it was the Queens gardens they wanted to smoke in,they politely enquired as to if or where they might smoke,and the helpful security man suggested a descreat puff behind a tree somewhere might go unnoticed.The tale then goes that within 20 minutes they had created a comfy "smokers corner" where apparently a steady stream of 100+smokers spent the afternoon having a quick puff!! He's convinced to this day that he'll be recieving a bill for a new lawn!!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The line-up -

Annie Lennox
Atomic Kitten
Blue
Brian Wilson
Bryan Adams
Sir Cliff Richard
The Corrs
Sir Elton John
Emma Bunton
Eric Clapton
Joe Cocker
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Mis-Teeq
Ozzy Osbourne
Sir Paul McCartney
Phil Collins
Queen
Ray Davis
Ricky Martin
Rod Stewart
S Club 7
Dame Shirly Bassey
Steve Winwood
Tom Jones
Tony Bennet
Toploader
Will Young

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The performances -

Brian May (from Queen) opened with an outstanding performance of God save the Queen,from the roof top of Buckingham palace,and continued to do the origonal assembly of Queen proud as the reformed group played further tracks.
Ozzy Osbourne behaved himself when he gave another excellent performance.
The most outstanding peformance of the night however was by Phil Collins who managed to drum constantly throughout nearly all the night's performance by all of the cast.Just about all the performers excelled themselves and a fantastic performance was created.

The only lower points on the night were Atomic Kittens off key singing,which however was excellently remastered for the cd production and notably improved by the sound techs for the broadcast.Tony Bennetts performance also was not so spectacular and resulted in a mass exodus to the loo by many of the audiance.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The fireworks -

Deafening was the first word that sprung to my hubby's lips upon his return.But they were also spectacular,and a great tribute to the day.He took some photos of them that showed just how grand and impressive they were,I only wish i could post them with the op!!

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Time to go -

The one thing that few of the peole realsied in the concert,were the millions of people waiting outside the palace gates.The expected tube trip back to Tower Bridge where their hotel was,was abandoned as thousands upon thousands of people flooded the stations until they had to be closed,and surged along the roads,making it impossible to go any way other than that of the crowds.About an hour after departing the palace I was sat on my stairs (1am in the morning) with an A-Z of London,and my phone,as they called me from thier mobiles to gain assistance in finding thier way back on foot to the hotel.It was in interesting experiance and they took four hours to get back!! The shear volume of people who went to be in,by or near the palace was wholley underestimated,the police were swamped and unable to help,and the planned transport provisions completely useless.Bad planning? No!! I feel it was simply a totally unexpected and underestimated veiw of the support and loyalty the concerts had inspired in the public of Brittain.Even my hot-headded husband complained not at the ensuing chaos,just marvelled at the velocity of it all!!

Upon their return to the Thistle hotel,Tower Bridge,they collapsed exhausted into bed.They rose again at about 9am and devoured their massive breakfast,just in time to make an early exit out of London as they had discovered the traffic problems were causing the police to gradually close many of the main roads.They in fact just managed to exit the London area as the roads were being closed off as they went!!
The £90 they paid for their overnight stop at the hotel,which for the two of them,including their breakkie was outstanding value,and hubby said he was so pleased with the hotel that I ought to mention it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Summery -

The Queen got hip.She held a great party in her back garden and let all sorts of people attend it.It was the one and only such like event to have happened or to be likely to happen in our lifetimes,and in holding such an amazing event she has endeared herself to millions of this countries citizens at a time when the monarchy were at an all time low,and when the countries poeple desperately needed a boost.Whether it was one of the worlds greatest PR stunts or a genuine welcoming of a more attainable monarchy,it was an undoubted success and marked well 50 years of great rule by one of the best Queens this county has ever known.

~ ~ ~ Thanks for reading ~ ~ ~