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The Jubilee weekend is
pageants and concerts,
cathedrals and beacons
but I want to show you
what the experience is like
in a tiny country village.
It is bunting outside the pub
and the Union flag
on the church tower.
It is scones and strawberry cake
in the church porch,
red, white and blue flowers
and more bunting in the nave.
The lost key has been found
and the side door is opened
for the first time for years
and you can look out
over rows of gravestones
among meadow flowers.
In the side aisle
the Lord and his Lady
lie peacefully as they have done
for the past four hundred years.
The churchwardens want to leave
to watch the river pageant
but first they must
shepherd a swallow
out of the chancel.
As you drive away
you glimpse a street party
with yet more bunting.
These scenes will be repeated
all over the country.
It is truly a very special
and very British weekend.
pageants and concerts,
cathedrals and beacons
but I want to show you
what the experience is like
in a tiny country village.
It is bunting outside the puband the Union flag
on the church tower.
It is scones and strawberry cakein the church porch,
red, white and blue flowersand more bunting in the nave.
The lost key has been foundand the side door is opened
for the first time for years
and you can look outover rows of gravestones
among meadow flowers.
In the side aislethe Lord and his Lady
lie peacefully as they have done
for the past four hundred years.
The churchwardens want to leaveto watch the river pageant
but first they must
shepherd a swallow
out of the chancel.
As you drive awayyou glimpse a street party
with yet more bunting.
These scenes will be repeatedall over the country.
It is truly a very special
and very British weekend.
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Gosh, I had to look hard to see the bunting outside the pub - and where are the scones?
ReplyDeleteWasn't the pageant magnificent? I did enjoy it.
I am intrigued by each
ReplyDeletewee
little
detail.
Lovely.
a special time indeed! thanks for the tour... very lovely! :)
ReplyDeleteSuch an intimate view, I do thank you Alice, I loved every detail. I won't feel the need now to buy every magazine with Jubilee on the cover, for I have gotten just what I needed/craved from this post. Xo
ReplyDeleteit has been delightful to watch from this side of the water. i recorded the "flotilla" which was brilliant. What a grand idea. i marveled at all the "man-woman powered" vessels" setting the pace. And it's been so fun reading posts like yours to see and read all the "post cards" from so many wonderful corners of your country.
ReplyDeleteI've loved the Britishness of the celebrations, the street parties, bunting and lovely smiles despite the weather My celebrations down under in Australia were a cup of tea from my teapot shaped like Windsor Castle!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to you all, and I'm loving the bits and pieces we're seeing on our national evening news. What a wonderful, wonderful occasion!
ReplyDeleteHi Alice, yes we all did our bit, didn't we, and I think even the most lukewarm among us would have been suitably impressed by last night's concert, and the turn out. My abiding memory, however, has to be the sight of that poor bedraggled choir on the barge, singing away and getting thoroughly drenched. Just heard on the radio this morning that they were checked over for hypothermia the minute they got 'off stage'. One girl said she was almost in shock!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful glimpse of your special celebration! Loved it! I send you best wishes during this special time!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures tell the story of the Jubilee weekend better than the AP (or BBC) ever could. Now if I could just taste one of those scones ;-).
ReplyDeleteYour perspective is always ten times better.
ReplyDelete