"Come on, cheer, cheer!" (Part 1)

Well, Pat and I have just returned from our usual Sunday afternoon walk around the village. We crossed the village green and the recreation ground. We walked through the village centre and down several of the streets. We saw a few closed shops decorated with red, white and blue flags and selling various jubilee items. There were perhaps half a dozen houses with flags or other memorabilia displayed. We saw a few others out for a walk. But street parties – not a one. No cheering crowds. No forelock touching serfs and peasants on the village green celebrating and paying homage to the octogenarian we are all supposed to admire and adore in London. No bells peeling. In fact little to distinguish today from any other Sunday afternoon.

When we returned we sat and enjoyed a cup of tea and for a few minutes watched the river jubilee pageant on the Thames. We were told frequently that that this was a glorious once in a life time display. We saw the Duke of Edinburgh – looking rather like an upper class Captain Pugwash - all dressed up in his uniform and sporting so many medals that he must have been weighed down. Quite how he found the time to be there when he clearly spends so much time fighting all these battles in order to win all these awards is beyond me! We also learned lots of useful information such as “this boat (a house boat) is twice as wide as a normal river boat”. We heard Lord Sterling, who had inspired and largely funded the “Gloriana” – the lead vessel in the pageant – tell us "that it would all be worthwhile if it encouraged young people to take up rowing" (!). Where do they find these people? How do such vapid people as him manage to breath in the correct places in order to get to the end of each day? There must, indeed, be something very, very wrong with modern Britain, the Britain of Elizabeth Regina, if people quite so vacuous as Sterling can become millionaires and wield power.  And then we had a wonderful Monty Pythonesque piece from top news reporter John Sergeant. Sergeant, an excellent reporter, told us “the noise of the crowd cheering is deafening” as he stood on the bridge watching the flotilla pass. Unfortunately it was pretty silent. Desperately he shouted to his audience “Come on cheer, cheer!” Little response. “Come on cheer, cheer!”. Eventually a few reluctant half hearted cheers crept into the microphone from the few people standing nearest to him filled our living rooms! Sergeant looked glad that was all over as the camera skipped off somewhere else.

Of course for many, I suppose, it is a great event – but, I suspect, for most it is all a bit irrelevant. My experience walking around my village this afternoon seems to have been replicated across the country. I’ve just read a comment on the web: “I've just been out in Norwich and the whole city is joining in the Jubilee celebrations by not having street parties, or not waving flags, or simply not seeming to give a toss about anything - other than shopping in Asda”. Someone else commented: “There is nothing going on in Wales. No street parties. No flags. No money”

It’s not all bad news for the monarchists however! The Guardian has reported (and I kid you not): “Ceri Jones, 31, from Neath, got in the party atmosphere by offering sausages rolls to more than a dozen friends at the Big Lunch”. Well, that’s all right then – Elizabeth Regina can sleep easy in her bed, she has thirteen loyal subject, all well fed in Neath! And the Queen can gain some satisfaction that the nation is awash with street parties: In Scotland the official estimate is that "there will be one hundred parties over the weekend, with about a third of these in Edinburgh". Wouldn’t want to be a party pooper or spoil the Queen’s day, but it seems to me there’s a hell of a lot of Scotland that isn’t planning anything then. And Gloucestershire – home of HRH Prince of Wales and other minor royals – "is boasting 300 street parties". Sounds a lot – but not when you spread them out through the county and urban areas of places like Bath.

No, the whole thing is a sham – quite underwhelming. Call me a curmudgeon but I am in full agreement with the recent comment I read “Hurrah for Mrs Queen! I'm overcome with emotion. People of Britain rejoice we are all going down the river together!”

On Wednesday, Pat and I popped to Loughborough to do some shopping. We parked the car and walked into the town centre. We passed a small side street – Shakespeare Street – which has a sign on the wall at the start of the street. The sign dates from the coronation and tells us that in 1953 the street won the prize for the best decorated street in Loughborough. When we passed on Wednesday just two lonely flags fluttered from the windows of one house. I wonder if Shakespeare Street will win the prize again – it could do since I didn’t see any other decorated streets around Loughborough!

Times, I suspect, have moved on since 1953 and the coronation. People are no longer quite so impressed and overcome by the monarchy. I can just remember the pomp and majesty of the coronation. I can remember as a seven year old being ushered into the school hall mid way through one February morning in 1952 and being told by a grim faced Headmistress that the King (George VI) had died. School would be closed as a mark of respect for the remainder of the day and we should all go home. I can remember running home and banging on the front door and then telling my mother that the king was dead. It seemed as if it was the end of the earth.

Of course, today we wouldn’t react like that – we wouldn’t immediately close a school send little children home – perhaps to wander the streets if there was no-one in at home. And in any case, although the death of the monarch would be the headline news it would not, I believe, have the same impact that it did then. The world has changed.

So far as the Jubilee is concerned it is simply a celebration, but I suspect that for most, it will have little to do with royalty or the monarchy.  If it has any value or significance, it is that people get an extra day’s holiday where they can have a few beers, do a bit of DIY, engage in a little retail, therapy, go out with the family, stay in bed, watch TV. Despite what the media would have us believe the whole thing is a rather hyped up sham which promotes the alleged worth of some rather unworthy people. Of course a few people will have their parties and will want to wave the flag or sing the national anthem. For the most part, in a Britain that is increasingly moving away from a religious faith and belief, these are people who need their 'fix' of something or somebody to look up to or believe in now that a God is less the focus of society. Our Prime Minister has urged us to have a get together, a big lunch, meet people. Well, that might be a good thing to do, but what has it got to do with celebrating the Queen’s jubilee? In years gone by the serfs and peasants may well have gathered together to celebrate the birthday of the local Lord or perhaps even the King - after all, in those days perhaps their very safety and livelihood depended upon him - but I would suggest that today most people would need other reasons for having a party!