The Festival of Remembrance

the royal box

floor to ceiling shot of the hall

the captivated audience

Last weekend was the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and it was absolutely marvellous.

Although Janine and I spent two days down inside the basement in the production office and didn’t see sunlight for 48hrs, and we worked long house running around for everyone and were knackered by the end of it, it was well worth it a million times over and id do it all again if I had the chance.

Some highlights from the weekend include dining with a very young and very camp opera singer Nicky Spence and the actor from Coronation Street William Roache; pinning poppies on Chris de Burgh; pushing pianos around for the All Angels; delivering ironing boards and irons to Jams Fox and Hew Edwards with just seconds to spare before they went on stage ; chatting with the sweet Catherine Jenkins in her dressing room; checking out all the charming and mostly tasty military boys in their uniform; and last but not least marvelling at the final evening performance of the Royal bands, especially the Marines and the Ghurkhas; and becoming awash with heart felt emotion during the service to remembrance those who lost their lives at war. I don’t think ive ever seen or felt anything so moving.

And then of course as seem to be a common thing for me these days was the attendance pf the Royal Family, prior to which I had to hand deliver uet again a program to the Palace, and as well to Prince Charles in St James Palace where we got to go inside and check out his abode from the other side! At the Hall also got we had a personal tour of thei Royals own separate entrance, waiting room and royal box, all which gets a fresh coat of paint before hand; and they even get their own toilet; which was nothing spectacular I guess, carpet, but no gold seats!

So all in all I had a wonderful weekend and im certain im in for another one as I head off now to catch my plane for Amsterdam….