TOAST?

Yesterday evening I received a Royal Commandment to watch ‘The Queen’. Fortunately it wasn’t some last minute Royal Visit with the usual scrabble for police resources or some inane public function with masses of self important civic dignitaries or even, a Freddy Mercury concert (he’s dead any way). No this was the film portrayal of HRH by Dame Helen Mirren on ITV. The ‘Royal Command’? Oh, that came from Mrs ‘V’ who tends to get a bit fed up of me being at work or, ‘missing presumed internet bound’! She often swears I have more interest in the computer than her? Not so! Anyway I digress. Isn’t that a good thing these days? Oh no, that’s ‘diversity’, knew it began with ‘D’.

Any way there I was, settled in the armchair with my glass of something warming, fighting the usual traits of tiredness ensconced in front of the TV, when I quickly realised she was holding my complete attention. Helen that is (not the missus), she had quickly succumbed to a deep slumber induced by two days of twelve hour shifts. Pity really, she had been looking forward to the program. It appears the high acclaim showered on the production by critics was well founded for a change. I must admit I’d been a little sceptical about the plot etc. and was fully expecting some trashy half baked box office money spinner. Not a bit of it, the film went on to show both the good and bad of our national structure.

The Bad: It showed how fickle and shallow our politicians are. How often their only interest is the latest sound bite opportunity or, blind pandering to public opinion to remain in power. Often at the expense of ‘u’ turns on policy and avoidance of manifesto promises. The good? Well that’s an easy one to answer: Tradition, Stability, High Standards and the ability to totally rise above mass hysteria. All of which are traits evident in the British Police Service. Some of the fundamental things that make our Monarchy (and the Police), so respected in the majority of the civilised world. When politicians don’t have an input.

Now call me cynical, but I’m sat this morning with my cup of tea and fag when GMTV announce; ‘According to the results of a YouGov survey, only 17% of people think the Government is doing a good job when dealing the effects of anti-social behaviour’. And this is quickly followed by; the ‘apparent’ withdrawal by British Troops from Basra, a fact confirmed later in the day by the BBC. Whoops, Government taking a bit of a battering again! Fly on the wall at No. 10 hears Gordon Brown red at the gills and shouting to his cronies: “Quick… Get them out of Iraq now! Thanks’ to Tony’s dithering about I’ve only been here five minutes and I’m bloody sure I’m not getting kicked out yet!

‘Royalist’ or ‘Republican’, you can’t underestimate the significance of Her Majesty (or the police) to this Nation. They are both British commodities we’d be lost without. A factor evidenced by a viewing report in The Guardian: Television premiere of Oscar-winning movie The Queen brought some right royal cheer to ITV1 last night, pulling in nearly 8 million viewers.

Oh yes the toast??? My Lords, Ladies & Gentlemen… THE QUEEN, God Bless Her!