Tuesday June 22nd, Buckingham Palace

I think we picked the hottest day of the year to attend a Garden Pary at Buckingham Palace. Cllr. Mike Soley and his wife were there, somewhere. It's absolutely impossible to find anyone, with the possible exception of Her Majesty, amongst the 7,998 other guests. It really was a once in a lifetime's experience. We were allowed to wander freely around the grounds, and needed to do so just to find some shade from the sun. We spotted several notables, Theresa May MP and the taxi driver from East Enders. (I'm almost proud to say I didn't know who he was.) We spoke to several people: some chains, some civil servants, some public servants, members of each of the Armed Forces, and, for my money more importantly, members of the public who were there in recognition of the voluntary services they had provided for various charities the length and breadth of the country. We had a lovely day, and if ever Her Majesty wants to come round ours for tea we'd be more than happy to reciprocate.