Taunton, 1987

Back in 1987 I was working and living in Taunton, Somerset.  Looking back, it was pretty idyllic.  Taunton was then a lovely small market town, the people were typical West Country (very friendly) and the surrounding countryside was stunning.  The country pubs were pretty amazing, too.  I was in my first job after graduating, teaching at the Richard Huish Sixth Form College and the kids were all in the 16+ age bracket, full of life.  They were the most pleasant students to work with and I was only a few years older than some of them, which made for some interesting times.  It was all good though.  Well, apart from my health, which was beginning to impinge on my enjoyment of the situation.  By the end of my first year teaching I was called in for my second hip replacement and so I found myself in Musgrove Park Hospital, first for surgery and then for physiotherapy.  I'm getting to the point of this story soon, I promise.

On my elbow crutches, so not long after surgery in 1987.  I don't have too many shots from this era, as when you are starting off teaching you hardly have time to draw breath, let alone take photographs.  On Kodachrome, via OM-1.

Whilst in and out for physio, it was announced that a new wing of the hospital was to be opened - and a very important person, or people, were to cut the ribbon.  The new wing was to be known as the Queen's Building.  Ah-ha, now you see where I'm going with this.

For some reason I was invited to be part of the day - and all I had to do was lie on my bed and pretend to be doing my exercises when HRH passed by.   Sure what else would I be doing, I though to myself - might as well.  A week or so before the Queen and Duke were due to arrive the whole place went into lockdown - police were everywhere.  The route they would be coming was swept and manhole covers were sealed.   Inside the hospital was thoroughly searched and uniformed officers were posted at all the entrances and on the wards.  I didn't have a badge or pass or anything but I guess I looked sick enough to be genuine as I don't remember ever being stopped and asked the purpose for me being there.  Though I did remember thinking 'Did no-one here ever watch the film, The Day of the Jackal'?  Remember how the character played by Edward Fox smuggled a rifle through the lines of police when trying to assassinate de Gaulle?  I was able to walk through all the police that morning in Taunton on my crutches, without once being stopped and searched.  Had I been stopped, things might been interesting, what with my Northern Irish accent.  But I wasn't and I ended up on my hospital bed as planned, as we all waited for the arrival of you-know-who.

Suddenly the door to the ward opened and in they came.  The Duke immediately went over to chat up a young lady in the bed opposite to me and next thing I knew the Queen was standing at the foot of my bed while the Director of Nursing explained why I was there and what I was doing.  My physio put me through my usual leg strengthening exercises as the Queen looked on.  'It looks jolly hard work' she said to me and then she gave me her trademark smile, which was, I have to say, rather beautiful.  

So that was my story about meeting Queen Elizabeth II.  I'm sure countless others have stories too, for she certainly got out and about over the what, 70 years and 214 days of her reign.  That was a heck of an innings.

As I thought about it later that evening there was only one thing I wish I had done differently.  Given that the exercise I was doing when HRH was at the foot of my bed was working on my leg adductors and abductors (moving my leg in and out to the side), I wish I'd worn a slightly longer pair of shorts.