Mum & Dad, Buckingham Palace.
At the end, there’s a dozen or so additional military honorees, who receive medals for gallantry in specific and recent events rather than long term service. Some are from Iraq, some are from Afghanistan. The very last one – and surely the most recent addition to the bill – is Staff Sergeant Douglas Leak of the Royal Engineers. He gets the Queen’s Gallantry Medal – ‘For Bravery In Dismantling A World War II Bomb In London.’ Necks crane forward: many may not recognise his name, but they know of his work. The bomb was discovered on a building site in Bethnal Green last May, and made the news. I like to think he said to Prince Charles, ‘And the funny thing is, I was whistling Kylie’s ‘What Do I Have To Do?’ while working out which wire to cut…’
Tom, Mum, DE. One of these people plays guitar for Fields Of The Nephilim.
Then it’s over. We all file outside into the courtyard with the cars. Here the honorees and their Guests queue up to be snapped by an official ceremonial photography service, though it’s optional – and incurs a fee. It now feels like I’m at a village fete: a curiously provincial ambience, given it’s the heart of the metropolis. In our case, we decide to take our own photos, as the queues for the photo service seem to be taking forever. It’s also a hot day and we’re wilting, and there’s no bar in sight (whatever would Princess Margaret say?).
In Tom’s garden. Guess which family member didn’t feel the need to change (or remove their hat) afterwards…
Tom drives us to a pub near his place in Hertfordshire, where we meet up with his wife Vicky and her parents Rob and Georgie (Cowan), for a thoroughly pleasant champagne lunch. The pub plays vintage soul music in the background, including ‘Give Me Just A Little More Time’, by Chairmen Of The Board. Also a hit for Kylie, of course.
The coincidences go on. When I mention what I’ve been up to, Ms A, a friend who works for the Poetry Society asks ‘Did you see a poet called Debjani Chatterjee? I speak to her all the time…’
I’m reeling from it all, to be honest, but most of all I’m so proud of Mum, and so glad to go to the Palace and see her honoured in person.
I fall asleep on the train from Hemel Hempstead, the New York jet lag hitting hard. Thankfully, London is the last stop. London’s helpful that way.
