Rest/Failure Day

Had to cancel an important appointment today for the second time much to my utter frustration. I’m going to retry and reschedule it tomorrow if possible.

Hoping it won’t be too stressful to do so as it was before…

Spent a bit of time over the Coronation weekend sorting through more boxes of notebooks and old diaries I have kept for several decades. It’s been a very long task but one I rather enjoy and an excellent pain distraction. Good and bad memories.

I found this entry in a box last week (see below). It’s from when I met the then Prince Charles, now King…it made me laugh which was much needed over the weekend and today due to my pain and fatigue level.

The dreich, damp weather today hasn’t helped so read a little (today’s Blip pic), tried to get some sleep, which I managed and watched some telly whilst I had a half load of washing on. More needs to be done tomorrow!

I rarely reread books but first read this many years ago and enjoying my rereading of it so far. It’s as good as I remember it being. If you haven’t read it, it’s worth adding to your reading list.

Tonight, I have been listening to music whilst catching up with friends online.


My diary, 19th May 2000, aged 18:

Prince Charles visited uni today. Mikey has been jokingly trying to teach me how to curtsey all week. It was rather amusing. I hope I won't have to! I will do a brief bob if needs must. We don't agree on much but at least we agree on the ridiculousness of the Monarchy.

He has given me a couple of "handy" tips on "coping" with the experience. One - bring a copy of the Guardian with me to "fan myself with" and two - just keep saying "Yah!" and nodding politely and smiling. I just rolled my eyes at his wit and did those two things.

I told Mikey I wouldn't tell Prince Charlie that my brother calls me Queenie because he finds it so ridiculously amusing. I'm sure he would find it funny though because he's apparently got a sense of humour. They say The Queen has so you never know! Like mother, like son perhaps?

I found Prince Charles pretty average. Predictable. He seemed vaguely bored but tried remarkably well to exude enthusiasm - the same as me and many of the others there!

He asked me what I was studying and he responded with a very disappointing but entirely expected, "Jolly good. Good for you. I love Shakespeare!" and moved seamlessly onto the next student. All that hand shaking must be a bit dull, to be fair.

The whole time he was going from student to student, I just kept thinking about the story Mum has told repeatedly over the years about meeting him when she worked in the cotton mill in Paisley. 

Much to Mikey and I's amusement but not to Soorface's, Prince Charles asked her if after her day's work, would she be heading home to rustle up some beans on toast for her husband's dinner to which she responded, "Oh no, Sir. Most definitely not. I think I can do a bit better than that!" I think she was about 25 or 26.

I guess someone must have told him that's what working class people make for dinner, ha! She said she refused to buy the photo of the visit.



The fact that my younger brother later went to St Andrews (more for the golf than the course - Biomedical Sciences) at the same time as Prince William does make me smile. 

I think he was studying History of Art and it was where he met Kate Middleton, his now wife. I remember Mikey not being too amused by the fact that Prince William’s security team 
/protection officers closed off a supermarket so he could buy a steak and other bits! 

Thanks for all your kind comments, stars and hearts as always :) xx