Painting of Windlesham Moor by Winston Churchill |
My mother’s cousins farmed close by in Bagshot. One night, in the pub, the Royal Stable
Manager caught sight of my Uncle Jack (this is obviously the non Quaker
side.) He offered my great uncle as much
manure from the royal stables as he needed as long as he was willing to remove
it himself.
In due course Uncle Jack sent over two of his sons, then
aged seventeen and fourteen, with the trailer. The boys found a gigantic pile of poop and straw at one end of the
stable yard and set to work. It was a hot day and after a while they looked and
smelled foul.
To their horror they saw Princess Elizabeth enter the yard
and begin strolling along the horse boxes. Handling the situation with aplomb
was beyond the skill of two teenage boys. They dived into the manure pile,
covered themselves and waited a considerable time in the fulminating mess until
they were sure the coast was clear.
I often wonder if the Princess knew they were in there and
was having a good giggle. Needless to say the boys were given a wide berth by
friends and family for some time after.
Naturally, the whole family now feels closely connected
with the Royal Family. I really wanted to show my respect to “Auntie Liz” on the occasion of her Diamond Jubilee but
was stumped until I saw a posting by Pyjama Gardener. Following her lead I
hastily planted a pot with blue and white pansies and red salvia. I placed a
piece from the Coronation tea set, inherited from my husband’s grandmother, in
the centre. My husband marched the arrangement around to the front porch,
stepped back and snapped off a crisp salute. I curtsied.
I made a pot of tea
using the Earl Grey from my Coronation souvenir tea caddy, also from Granny.
We
sipped it on the veranda overlooking the south lawn (back deck) and reflected
on Her Majesty’s reign, satisfied we had done our duty.
For the ultimate in Jubilee afternoon teas click here Hurtled To 60
What a fabulous story to be able to pass down the generations. I do love the areas of windlesham and bagshot. You pot looks very lovely too!
ReplyDeleteVictoria xx
This is so funny! I didn't know you were English. I can't believe those boys hid in the manure! Why did they feel the need to hide? Were they worried they'd be accused of stealing?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story about the two young lads! We have all had Diamond Jubilee fever over here! I went to Windsor Castle to watch an international horse pageant in the presence of the Queen. The atmosphere was electric and so memorable. I have blogged about this evening and also the boat pageant on the river Thames in London.
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for becoming a follower of my blog and I'm delighted that in doing so it has led me to yours. I'm happy to follow too!
Johnson
The Diamond Jubilee wasn't a big deal here, however the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Calgary last year and were a big hit.
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