I promised that I would report back on how the Diamond Jubilee was celebrated here in Aberdeen. Union Street was bedecked with flags:
Aberdeen’s Union Street, 5 June 2012 (from the top deck of the bus).
Our church opened its Jubilee Hall on Sunday, and the children had today and yesterday off school. Last night the Dafter and we stayed up a bit late to watch the end of the big concert in front of Buckingham Palace, mostly because we wanted to see Stevie Wonder. It was sad that Prince Philip had to be in hospital, and funny to hear Charles say, “Your Majesty – Mummy…” The Dafter didn’t really see why there was all this fuss about a woman who was Queen by a mere accident of birth.
I was at work today, as were many other people. This evening, Michael and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood to see if there were any signs of celebrations. In 40 minutes of walking, we saw five houses with Union Jack flags (and one with Scottish flags drawn by children). Michael heard on the radio that while there were 9,000 street parties in England and Wales, there were only 100 in Scotland. Considering Scotland has about 1/10 the population of England and Wales, that might be said to indicate less enthusiasm, though our First Minister was at pains to explain that the Scots just celebrate things a bit differently up here.
Here at our house we had a teeny-weeny celebration:
The cake was an excuse for using the decorations!
It was rather a teeny-weeny cake, but very yummy (store-bought of course). In the words of the television presenter, “And now it’s on to the Olympics”!
Love the cake decoration, glad you enjoyed the weekend. God Bless xx
By: Sister Julie on June 5, 2012
at 9:38 pm
Did you and the Dafter get to hear Alfie Boe sing? I am a big fan of Alfie since I heard him sing in the 25th anniversary performance of Les Miserables public radio.
The cake looks yummy, store bought or not.
LindaC
By: Linda DeMars on June 5, 2012
at 9:45 pm
The flags on Union Street look very festive, as does your little cake. We, here in the States, have been watching the festivities on the television, as it is on all of our news channels and was also broadcast Live this morning when the Queen stood on her balcony. Such fun to have a real Queen! xx
By: Karen on June 5, 2012
at 9:53 pm
Stevie Wonder rocks! I forgot to mention that I Iistened to some Paul Mealor on Amazon and liked it very much. Reminds me of Arvo Part, and I love Arvo Part.
I think it’s fun to have royals. They can be treated with the irreverence one devotes to batty relatives, whereas politicians seem more like annoying people on public transportation.
By: almostnothingbutmusic on June 5, 2012
at 10:35 pm
No street parties or flags here
too bad! Glad you enjoyed the celebrations and had a yummy cake too!
By: Kia on June 5, 2012
at 11:56 pm
i get a chuckle at how the corgis are front and centre in a number of the family pictures i’ve been seeing. they really have done well for such small dogs.
By: ajb47 on June 6, 2012
at 12:38 am
I’m very impressed by Aberdeen’s bunting. I deliberately went to Royal Deeside yesterday to bathe in royal goings on and was most disappointed by the low key nature of it. Braemar wasn’t very festive looking, but I must admit that Ballater did a better job. There were a few houses en route bedecked with Union flags too, admittedly. Apparently there were street parties in Blairgowrie and Coupar Angus but I didn’t see any of it. The south of England was possibly the most festive place to be, I think. Your cake looks lovely.
By: tearoomdelights on June 6, 2012
at 8:18 am
Great post, as always! I didn’t know you liked Stevie Wonder…me too! I just read your story, “Going to town with Grampa”. I loved it so much! Your grandparents reminded me of the grandparents in “The Waltons”. I love your style of writing, I felt as if I was right there. xx
By: Tina on June 6, 2012
at 9:50 am
My daughter has a friend in Plockton (West Highlands) who reported the place was buzzing with parties at the weekend, but that it was just any excuse for a ceilidh.
By: Flora Alexander on June 6, 2012
at 5:00 pm
I’m with the Dafter on this, sorry. But I did enjoy the Lighthouse celebrations which we wouldnt have had if not for her Maj.
Thought your cake looked amazing, did you make the decs?
By: Jill. on June 6, 2012
at 5:19 pm
A teeny-weeny cake for the wee Queenie. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist!) While I enjoy the hoopla that royals tend to create by their very existence, I also see the Dafter’s point. It’s especially true of this queen, since it was her uncle’s abdication that put her father on the throne. Royalty is a curious thing…
By: thebluestockingbelle on June 6, 2012
at 7:52 pm
I’ve been reading with interest any report on the Jubilee. We are having our tea two weeks late, but that won’t matter here in America.
By: Heather L. on June 7, 2012
at 1:42 pm
Loved the cake decorations! Sounds like you had fun. Nice photo from the top of the two-decker bus.
By: Dianne McGregor Campbell on June 7, 2012
at 4:49 pm
Oh I do love that Jubilee bunting.
By: Relyn on June 7, 2012
at 6:22 pm
Thank you all for your comments. I’m glad you enjoyed my Jubilee report, and didn’t mind the rather grubby top-of-the-bus view.
Linda, we didn’t hear Alfie Boe, but I will have to listen out for him.
almostnothingbutmusic, I also haven’t heard of Arvo Part! Another one to listen out for. What you say about the royals being like batty relatives would be contested by those who point out how much they cost taxpayers, and how much private wealth and influence they have. Out of interest, I tried to find out how much they do cost us, and the answer for 2010 seemed to be 62 pence per person per year.
ajb, the corgis have been very much in the spotlight haven’t they?
Lorna, I’m really surprised there wasn’t huge royalist fervour in Royal Deeside. I was actually thinking if people wanted street parties, they might have to go to Ballater.
Kia, sorry you were disappointed!
Tina, thank you so much for your kind words about “Going to Town with Grampa”. It is based on my Grampa, whom I loved very dearly, though I *think* I imagined the plot of the story. My grandparents were very much like those in The Waltons, you’re quite right. My Grampa would pat my Granny’s rear end and she would swat him with a towel. They were full of life and love, and had survived some incredibly hard times and come through smiling.
Flora – any excuse for a ceilidh, and also rumour has it that Plockton has a large number of residents from south of the border – don’t know if that’s true!
Jill – your beacon looked great. No, the decorations were bought!
Ellen, yes royalty is a weird thing and at heart there is still a belief that the royals are chosen (literally anointed) by God. Ha ha, a weeny cake for wee Queenie! Hadn’t thought of that.
Heather, just consider it a time difference!
Dianne and Relyn, I’m glad you enjoyed the post and thanks for commenting.
By: christinelaennec on June 7, 2012
at 9:41 pm