An audience with the Queen

Whilst I am not particularly suspicious I did wonder what this Friday 13th would bring...

When T suggested this afternoon that we go to "...see The Queen" this evening, I was initially taken aback thinking that our royal connections were about to be re-established again.

However, it transpired that it was the movie, starring Helen Mirren & Michael Sheen, that was being referred to, and which was showing in Crawley.

When I arrived back in Horsham station car park, having taken my usual commute from London to Horsham, I was pleased that the day - Friday 13th - had been uneventful with no major or minor disaster occurring. As I walked into the station car park I couldn't remember where in the car park I had parked my car that morning. Until I remembered... I had parked it in Gatwick Airport!! I therefore had to get the train back to Gatwick and then drive to the cinema in Crawley. Suspicious me? Well, maybe.

However, the film was excellent and the travel difficulties were soon forgotten. Michael Sheen was excellent as Tony Blair, and I'm not sure whether Helen Mirren was playing the Queen or vice versa, she was that good. The film itself covers at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle, following the death of Diana, to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the Royal family and the public's demand for an overt display of mourning.

My memories of Princess Di's funeral brought back painful memories for me too. We were watching the funeral in S&N's house and whilst holding a mug of hot black coffee in my left hand, somebody asked me what the time was. Just as anybody would do (anybody with only half a brain cell that is) I turned my wrist to look at my watch pouring boiling hot coffee into my lap.

I therefore spent the next 15 minutes of the funeral having a cold shower. Such painful memories....