Last night in Zac's, Sean read the parable of the rich man's feast, and asked if we'd ever received an invite we hadn't expected, and how we'd felt. It reminded of the time when ...
Husband came home from work and said we'd been invited out and he made me guess by whom. I went through the usual suspects: friends, a work do, family. No, none of those.
'Oh, I don't know. The Prime Minister?!'
'Close,' he said. 'We've been invited to tea with the Queen.'
Along with several hundred others, we'd been invited to one of the Queen's summer garden parties at Buckingham Palace. In those days, Husband was a civil servant, and he'd just battled with cancer, so I think that was why we got the invite.
Although it could be said that I was following in a family tradition. My great-auntie Vi had been twice in her position as President of the local WI, and my uncle John had also been. (Auntie Vi was well-suited to her role in spite of the fact that she swore like a trooper: she had a collection of hats and loved to talk. In fact most members of my family have the gift of the gab, unlike me. Even kissing the blarney stone didn't help in my case.)
But I'm wandering off the point.
It was all very exciting going to the palace, and remarkably relaxed. Apart from soldiers on guard at the front and men with guns on the roof, you'd hardly have known there was any security.
But what I mentioned last night was the fact that, although we'd been invited, we were just part of the throng; the 'important people' were in a little enclosure of their own. And the path the Queen walked down was wide and fenced off.
What's more, late in the afternoon, when I went to ask for a drink, the waitress said she couldn't serve me as the national anthem had just been played and that meant the Queen had left the party so no more drinks could be served. Seeing my disappointment - it was a warm afternoon - she glanced around quickly and surreptitiously poured me a glass of lemon barley.
So what I said last night was that I hoped it wouldn't be like that in heaven. No separate enclosures for the elite - the Mother Teresas and Martin Luther Kings - or the seemingly-superior - the pope and Cliff Richard. And I hope it won't be like a posh feast where I don't know which cutlery to use.
And most of all I hope God won't leave the building.
P.S. The food was very good though. As it will be in heaven. Where chocolate won't be bad for you.xx
xx
14 comments:
No, I think you're not far wrong in your vision of the heavenly feast. Though I suspect there'll be some real surprises amongst the attendees. And, of course, those NOT in attendance.
I am impressed by your royal invitation, however.
I'm certain it will be everything you expect, and more.
A place where chocolate isn't bad for you... Amen sister!
Interesting to know of the elitism within the elitism of A Buck Hse Garden party! I'm sure heaven will treat you a lot better, Liz - but let's hope not yet?
...and no washing up...
Pepsi have just launched Cucumber Pepsi in Japan. The ideal accompliment to afternoon tea with Her Majesty. My mum met her when she got her MBE. She said that she was right nice.
Were there 72 virgins there too? Or were Muslims not invited?
What proportion were black?
Or indeed, Scottish?
And did seeing Her Countenance(tm)
cure Hubby's cancer?
Just askin' . . . .
I've heard about those Buck House get togethers where you don't actually get to meet the hostess with the mostest.
Still, at least you can say you have been. Do they really have cucumber sandwiches? To be honest, I couldn't imagine anything more offensive to the taste buds...eeew!
Tea at Buckingham Palace, with or without the Queen, sounds exciting to me!
Could you please explain what the local WI is?
The invite is worth a little boasting. I'm impressed.
Mary, I'm sure God will be more generous in who he invites than I would be! 'What?! You're here?!'
mdm, me too.
Helen, why else would God have created chocolate?
I'm not going anywhere yet, Welshcakes!
Cucumber Pepsi? That's interesting. (But stoopid. {Rowan & Martin})
Stu, I only counted 71.
There weren't cucumber sandwiches as such, Robyn, but very tasty bites. Actually I like cucumber sandwiches ...
Elsie, the WI is the local Women's Institute. It's a national organisation. Did you see the film Calendar Girls? A group of WI women, who are normally best known for their jam, posed for a nude calendar to raise money for charity.
Steve, it was a great experience.
What a great post!
I love reading your stories.
Where chocolate won't be bad for you.... you can say that again!
Gosh, I didn't know they stopped serving refreshments after the Queen had left. How utterly miserable of them. Love the story of your Auntie Vi! I think heaven will be organised along more democratic lines, don't you?
I forgot I already commented - sorry!
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