GUEST COLUMN!

While reading "Born to Be King," a paragraph leaped out at me.  The Prince, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip had all visited BURNLEY during the 2012 Diamond Jubilee.

Why such excitement?  Dear friends, Ann and Frank, live in Colne, which is 7.6 miles or 16 minutes from Burnley - surely they'd been in attendance!  A scoop!  Whee!  In an instant I'd e'd them asking for all of the details.

Alas, something else had precluded their attendance, but the royals did have lunch at the Burnley Clarets (football team) facility which was mere yards from the location of their old shop and house.

Anne wrote again to console me.

"We have seen the late Queen Mum on three occasions!!!!

1.  We were invited to St. James Palace to attend the Queen Mary's Needlework Guild Presentation.  I had knitted 36 (Yes, 36) children's sweaters and jackets.

The Queen Mum was patron of the Guild which Queen Mary, wife of George Vth, had started during the 1st World War.

She came through a door which led to Clarence House, where she lived and into St. James Palace with Billie, her butler and the corgis ... one of which I managed to stroke.

2.  We happened to visit Sandringham Flower Show when we were on holiday on the day when the Queen Mum accompanied by Prince Charles was viewing the flowers.  The Queen Mum wore yellow and Prince Charles had a check suit on which, I thought, was a bit "loud."

3.  Liz (daughter) was playing in a concert at the Albert Hall when she was studying for her Post Grad in Music at the Royal College of Music and the Queen Mum, who was patron of the College was the Guest of Honor.  

After the performance, we went back to the College to pick Liz up and the Queen Mum was there.

She was just leaving and we had to stand to one side.  As she walked down the steps, she actually said, "Good evening" to us.

So I hope that this in some way makes up for us missing the Queen when she came to Burnley."