Wow - I've Been There Again!

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Two years ago, I was fortunate enough, as a volunteer fund raiser with the Red Cross, to attend a Garden Party in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, held to celebrate the centenary of that organisation.

Early last year, it was announced that group visits would be started on certain weekends of the year. The response was overwhelming and, despite almost camping on the phone for two days, I was unable to get a place for our Garden Club in Bracknell. However, there was a waiting list and we were duly added to it.

This year, we reached the head of the list and yesterday afternoon, twenty-two eager members headed up the M4 in a coach hired for the trip. We allowed two hours to get there (if we were late, we would not be allowed in) and arrived an hour early. But finally our time arrived – we went through security, up some stairs to the Queen’s Gallery for a twenty minute talk about the history of the garden, back down the stairs, through a door and there we stood, on the edge of the three acre lawn at the back of the Queen’s official London residence.

Over the course of the next hour, we had a guided tour past the herbaceous borders, commemorative trees, the rose garden, a tennis court, the lake and other features in one of London’s largest gardens. Because we went to private parts of the grounds, not seen by the general public, we were not permitted to take photographs but I’m sure everyone came away with the pictures engraved in their minds.

Two years ago, it poured with rain; yesterday was damp with heavy showers. Third time lucky?

• 17 May, 2010
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