Life as a servant continued………….

……….our employer (he of many ‘gongs’) attended the annual Calvary Parade today in Hyde Park. Rod being his ‘person in waiting’ had to drive him there and attend upon him. Our employer no longer marches in the parade, but was seated in an area for VIPs - Rod was relegated to stand with the hoi polloi. The class system in England never fails to amuse and confound us. It is especially evident in the armed forces which of course the royal family ‘lead’!!! The officers (who ‘fought’ in the war) – distinguish themselves by wearing bowler hats and carrying furled umbrellas????????? They lead the parade from the front. The soldiers (who also fought in the war) wear suits (sans bowler hats & umbrellas) and bring up the rear. This we believe, was not the case during the war, men out front, officers to the rear…….who knows? But we can’t help wondering if the gongs were so freely given to the guys without the bowler hats and umbrellas????? Rod caught the eye of one of the Royal Household attaches (takes one Kiwi to recognize another!!); he invited Rod into the ‘seated area’ – right in the front. Hence Rod caught on camera HRH. After studiously ignoring Rod while he snapped away, he then turned and said ‘hello’…..”I sleep with the man who spoke with the Prince of Wales” (reminiscent of the song “I danced with a man, who danced with a woman who danced with the Prince of Wales”)…………..as I write this the cuckoo is being totally ‘cliché’…..did you know that cuckoos only cuckoo for a short while, we think it’s to announce summer, but maybe it’s something else they have on their mind…….lots of love xxxxxxxxx