Royal Wedding!

[interzen]

At 0810 this morning my phone announced a text had arrived. At that time of day, I assumed it was boaby, wishing me a good morning, but it wasn't. It was from a colleague, and it said

Royal Wedding! Royal Wedding! Royal Wedding! ROYAL WEDDING! Its the BESTEST thing EVER 2 happen in my life %-) x

I think he's looking forward to it.

Blimey, the last time I got a text at that time of the morning it was SWMBO telling me to get my fat arse out of bed

[simonp]

At 0810 this morning my phone announced a text had arrived. At that time of day, I assumed it was boaby, wishing me a good morning, but it wasn't. It was from a colleague, and it said

Royal Wedding! Royal Wedding! Royal Wedding! ROYAL WEDDING! Its the BESTEST thing EVER 2 happen in my life %-) x

I think he's looking forward to it.

Gay.

[Ian H]

At 0810 this morning my phone announced a text had arrived. At that time of day, I assumed it was boaby, wishing me a good morning, but it wasn't. It was from a colleague, and it said

Royal Wedding! Royal Wedding! Royal Wedding! ROYAL WEDDING! Its the BESTEST thing EVER 2 happen in my life %-) x

I think he's looking forward to it.

Is your colleague called Windsor? Otherwise I don't understand. Unless it's sarcasm.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

He's as gay as the day is long.

[Ian H]

He's as gay as the day is long.

So, less so in winter?

[andygates]

It's hard to be flamboyant in waterproofs.

[Regulator]

I see Thatcher and Major were invited (Thatcher isn't attending) but not Bliar or Brown.  

Could the royals be right-wingers, or do the current government draw up the attending despot guest list?  It'll be interesting to see how many dictators show up.

Thatcher and Major get automatic invites as a Knight / Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of The Garter, not because they're ex The Prime Ministers.

did Bliar get rid of the order for PM's or something? or is it an honour that's conferred on Tories only?

Membership of the Order of the Garter is in the personal gift of the monarch (one of only three honours that have no government input) but is restricted to 24 members (IIRC).  Thatcher got one (and contrary to certain assertions made by certain residents of the Westminster village and commentators, she and Brenda got on well) and Major got one when a member of the Order died shortly after he left office.

So far, there have been no deaths of Order of the Garter members so Blair and Brown will have to wait - but I think Brenda may find an excuse to avoid giving Blair anything if she can.  One thing she can do is read the mood of the nation and she knows it would be an unpopular move to give him any real honour.

[andrewc]

I'm off camping in Wales tomorrow, so hopefully will avoid The Event.   Quite a few stories doing the rounds of "alternative media" sites about London squats being raided, and people with a history of public protest being preemptively arrested.  Ah, BBC have it as well http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-13226364.

[geraldc]

I have to drop a friend off at their hotel just off Whitehall, should prove interesting. They don't block off the streets until 4am, but there are a lot of freaks out there camping.

[Doosh]

I see Thatcher and Major were invited (Thatcher isn't attending) but not Bliar or Brown.  

Could the royals be right-wingers, or do the current government draw up the attending despot guest list?  It'll be interesting to see how many dictators show up.

Thatcher and Major get automatic invites as a Knight / Lady Companion of the Most Noble Order of The Garter, not because they're ex The Prime Ministers.

did Bliar get rid of the order for PM's or something? or is it an honour that's conferred on Tories only?

Membership of the Order of the Garter is in the personal gift of the monarch (one of only three honours that have no government input) but is restricted to 24 members (IIRC).  Thatcher got one (and contrary to certain assertions made by certain residents of the Westminster village and commentators, she and Brenda got on well) and Major got one when a member of the Order died shortly after he left office.

So far, there have been no deaths of Order of the Garter members so Blair and Brown will have to wait - but I think Brenda may find an excuse to avoid giving Blair anything if she can.  One thing she can do is read the mood of the nation and she knows it would be an unpopular move to give him any real honour.

But weren't all living previous PMs invited to Charles and Diana's wedding, regardless of the order of the garter?

[Cudzoziemiec]

On Tuesday Little Cudzo came back from school saying that his teacher had spent the Easter hols cycling in Snowdonia. 

On Thursday he told us that he had got an invitation to the wedding. I guess he meant a ticket (iz ther tix or just a big q?). This rather cancels out the previous good impression in my mind.

My sister's street shall be taking advantage of the occasion to hold a non-r.w. street party - they haven't got permission, but it's such a huge, busy road of great strategic importance that... well, no one will actually notice. There shall be tea and cakes and no big tv or watchey thing. There shall also be an ex-cousins' bike for LC. 

[Jaded]

It's hard to be flamboyant in waterpoofs.

[geraldc]

I've never seen central London so busy at 1am. There were swarms of people heading towards the area with camping chairs and flags.

Trafalgar Square is now covered with marquees. One had a giant sign saying 'Lost Children', I think they're expecting quite a few of them by the size of the tent.

There was another giant marquee that was labelled M&S, probably to sell celebratory prawn cocktail sandwiches.

They'd already closed off the mall by then, so I didn't drive down it.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

[quote/]

But weren't all living previous PMs invited to Charles and Diana's wedding, regardless of the order of the garter?
[/quote]

Apparently, yes.

Mind you, since Thatcher came to power there hasn't been a PM I'd invite to any event I'd any say over with the possible exception of John Major, an under-rated politician in charge of a party of 'bastards'.

[Wowbagger]

At 4am there was a police raid on Mal Volio's field. And Boris is a bloody skinflint for spending only £500 on a tandem. But doesn't the Mail see the delicious irony in criticising such a gesture as "an inappropriate use of public money"?

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Talking about police raids, read this:

Royal wedding protest: three anti-capitalist activists arrested | UK news | The Guardian

Jeezus. What a police state we live in. These three had done nothing, yet they're nicked for conspiracy to cause a breach of the peace. The age of Thought Crime has arrived.

It makes me sick - all you have to do is talk with some friends about making a protest and you're guilty.
To make it clear, I'm OK with them being nicked but only if they actually DID something in the first place.

[gordon taylor]

At 4am there was a police raid on Mal Volio's field. And Boris is a bloody skinflint for spending only £500 on a tandem. But doesn't the Mail see the delicious irony in criticising such a gesture as "an inappropriate use of public money"?

Almost as ironic as someone on a trip to avoid and ignore the Royal Wedding posting on a Royal Wedding thread at 8 am?

[Rig of Jarkness]

After a quick spin on the bike at 6.30 this morning I'm now comfortably installed in front of the tv for the next few hours 

Just wondering when the last time King David and Queen Victoria had to line up and join the end of a queue...

[geraldc]

Am I alone in feeling guilty about being fascinated by all this?

Matt Baker is interviewing the PM at the moment. Waiting for the how do you sleep at night question...

[Rig of Jarkness]

Am I alone in feeling guilty about being fascinated by all this?

A great feel good day for the whole of the UK to enjoy, a day that will be remembered (hopefully for good reasons) for many decades to come - nothing to feel guilty about at all !  Enjoy 

[L CC]

No2Daughter is refusing to get dressed to watch The Wedding.
Has she no respect?

I blame the parents.

[Rig of Jarkness]

Matt Baker is interviewing the PM at the moment. Waiting for the how do you sleep at night question...

It seems funny seeing all these BBC presenters wearing suits and ties...

[ScumOfTheRoad]

Wonderful interview on the telly last night with the couple who run the Spar store in Buclebury. The lady flew back to India to buy a special sari for the wedding.
Top marks to Kate Middleton for inviting them.
One in the eye for David Cameron and his fatuous remarks about immigrants not "fitting in".
What could be more integrating into a community than getting an invitation to a royal wedding and turning up in style.
Unlike the oaf Cameron who threatened to wear a lounge suit to be "down with the kids" and hastily had to make up a story that this was a mistake by a PR hack.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

No2Daughter is refusing to get dressed to watch The Wedding.
Has she no respect?

I blame the parents.

I'm not dressed either.

I like Samantha Cameron's dress.

[Rig of Jarkness]

I like Samantha Cameron's dress.

+1 from Mrs C

(dressed)