On Tuesday 10th May I had the privilege of attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace. I had been invited to represent SI Bristol with Jo Davies from Special Friends Club (our charity last year when I was President) and our husbands. We queued outside the front entrance and, when the front gates opened, we walked through the entrance hall of the Palace along the red carpet and entered the gardens. Tea was served from a marquee, cucumber and mint sandwiches, of course!, and dainty cakes and scones and cream. Shortly before 4 pm the Yeoman of the guard organised the crowd so that there were clear lines for the Queen and Prince Philip to walk along. The Queen stopped about ten feet away from us to talk to someone and we had a good view in spite of the umbrellas.
We were delighted to meet up with Sue Perry and Helen Davies. Sue had been invited in recognition for her work for Soroptomists and other charities. Even though there were a large number of fellow guests we all managed get together for a short while to exchange our experiences and admire our hats and outfits.
Later on we took a tour of the garden admiring the azaleas, lake and summerhouse (complete with wicker corgi). at 6 pm we headed back home, tired, but having had a truly memorable day.