Royal Mail

We left Edinburgh at 9 this morning and struggled through the door in Kent at 7pm. Another massive drive with a detour along the M62 to avoid long delays on the M6. But the sun shone all the way.

When we got back to Kent The Principal told me there was a letter for me from Balmoral Castle. I was amazed. Balmoral!

The letter is fairly self explanatory. A while back I came across a most moving letter John has written to the Queen reminding her that he was 93 and hoping that he would get a letter on his 100 birthday and how much this would mean to him.

He was feeling very low one day and I suggested he send the letter to The Queen. He agreed and I enclosed a rather roughly hand-written note giving some of John's background and telling Her Majesty of John's terrible anguish at learning that he would probably not return to his beloved home. I hoped that some token might be sent to John, some word of encouragement. 

The letter for me was thanking me for bringing John to Her Majesty's attention. It was from a Lady-in-Waiting. It mentioned that a separate letter had been despatched to John.

I rushed over to his house and there it was. Tomorrow I will take it to him in the residential care home he is in. I can hardly wait but 10 hours of shared driving is enough for one day.

And to think John knows most of the words of 'Scots Wha Hae' by heart! What a strange and wonderful kingdom, united or not.