A day at Windsor
Castle 12 May Monday
Good Republicans we
are (that is, Dave and I), but nevertheless, we still thought we
should inspect that bastion of Royalty, Windsor Castle. So, off
to the Castle we and the Pickerings went for a glimpse behind
the castle walls.
Our first contact
came with an impeccably dressed man at the main gates to the
Castle (see photo below with Dave and Mark). What a
wonderful advertisement he was for the PR machine that operates
so smoothly here. He was the one who persuaded us, very
charmingly, that it was well worth our time and £18 each (of
Anne's money - she generously shouted the four of us!).
The really
interesting parts the public are allowed to wander through are
forbidden to cameras, so I have nothing to show of the
opulence that's on display. It was overwhelming, and could
even give ardent Royalist second thoughts. But that's
nit-picking really. The State Rooms are impressive (that's
an understatement), and at the very l east, there's a tremendous
sense of history on display.
Oh, and the Queen was
'in residence' as they say, but she didn't come out to meet us.
Below a summary of what we
were allowed to photograph: (in time, the ban on photos is
likely to be dropped in such places. I overheard a couple
of the attendants discussing how impossible it was to monitor
the use of smart phones and their cameras, which can be used
very surruptiously. And of course, Google glasses are on
the near horizon, with tiny cameras built into the frames)
