THEN AND NOW
By Linda Watling
Add on 5
Year 2002
I am writing this on September the eleventh. This has been a smashing year, a year to be ENGLISH.
The beginning of 2002 was marred by the death of Princess Margaret, the Queen's sister in February followed by the death of the Queen Mother about six weeks later. She was a 101. After these sad events everything was joyous. England got into the quarter finals of the World cup, the Queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games were held in Manchester. The flag of St George was flying everywhere for all of these events, many cars and lorries flew it and some houses had it hanging in the window (ours included). I have never heard Land of Hope and Glory sung so poignantly as at the Commonwealth Games, it was glorious.
The Queen's Jubilee was such a great success and the whole country joined in, the weekend designated as Jubilee weekend was the beginning of June with the Monday and Tuesday added on as bank holidays. We watched every moment of the celebrations on television, there were over a million people in London and Union Jacks and the flags of England Ireland Scotland and Wales were everywhere. The Commonwealth was not forgotten either.
For a great part of the year everyone seemed to regain their pride in their country. It was a wonderful feeling. I believe write many people realise, for the first time, what a privilege it is to have a royal family.
On August the 10 John and I went to Norfolk for a week, our first real holiday for about eight years. We went there for the Watling Convention, there weren't many of us but what was lacking in quantity was made up for in quality. on the final evening 13 of us has a memorable meal together. One important event I have overlooked was John's 60th. 70 family and friends joined us to celebrate the occassion, particularly happy as all of our grandchildren plus their parents were there.
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