The Fleet’s lit up

"At the present moment, the whole fleet is lit up. When I say 'lit up', I mean lit up by fairy lamps.  We've forgotten the whole Royal Review ... we've forgotten the Royal Review ... the whole thing is lit up by fairy lamps. It's fantastic, it isn't the fleet at all. It's just ... it's fairyland, the whole fleet is in fairyland."


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Thomas Woodroffe was an ex navy man and early BBC Radio commentator. In 1937 he covered the fleet review from the deck of the flagship but had rather too much to drink before going on air. I first heard a clip of his "emotional" broadcast in the early 1970s and have always remembered it as a wonderful example of what happens when inhibitions are very publicly removed …
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There’s a clip of it here if you are interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WpiTa7azQs

We were up in London for the evening watching the illuminated procession of 150 boats passing in tribute to the late queen. They sailed from Albert Bridge near Chelsea down to Tower Bridge. We watched from Hungerford Bridge between Waterloo and Charing Cross.

We then found my sister and her husband further along the bridge and after much hugging we accidentally wandered in to The Mulberry Bush and had a couple of beers before heading home. All very lovely. Check out the extras.

Our day was relaxed but we also had a lovely unexpected visitor from Brighton and The Dizzle, his girlfriend and her mate all dropped in too so very sociable … and at times emotional …