Celebrating the Diamond Jubilee

 First of all, a big hello to my new readers in the USA and Russia, plus another from Germany. I hope you are enjoying what you are reading. I have been on holiday with my girlfriend for a week and so have had to put my full attentions elsewhere...

While we were away at my father's caravan in County Durham, it was the jubilee weekend and so a lot of our time was spent watching the coverage on television and also taking part in some celebrations of our own.

Excluding the Derby, of which I have no real interest in horse-racing, the celebrations kicked off with the boat flotilla down the River Thames. Inevitably it rained and such is life, Scotland enjoyed the best weather of the entire weekend. I felt so sorry for those singers who were doing their level best to sing "Land of Hope and Glory" as the royal barge passed and the rain pelted down on them. It was most certainly putting the old (and currently fashionable saying) of "keep calm and carry on into practice!"

Disappointingly the BBC coverage was average at best, full of camera glitches, which I presume were caused by the weather, and stupid features like Tess Daly receiving a fake knighthood, almost spoiling what was a splendid national occasion.

Barnard Castle Cricket Club Jubilee Celebrations

Amongst the flotilla were boats representing every nation from the Commonwealth. This was of special interest to my girlfriend, Samantha, whose family originates from Trinidad & Tobago. It would have been nice if the commentary had shown these more and mentioned the countries who were passing by. No..instead it's off to Annika Rice on Tower Bridge... Grrr... I've nothing against Annika Rice, but she seemed to be more on camera than the Queen. Speaking of which, who was playing "Where's Will.iam? Anyone would have thought that it was he who celebrating 60 years on the throne. I'm surprised he and The Black Eyed Peas didn't commission their own yacht and sail down the Thames in front of the Queen!

This brings me nicely onto the concert on Monday evening. What was the point of Cheryl Cole? Lenny Henry also made Prince Charles laugh with a "black joke." At times I imagined the heir to the throne turning to Prince William and asking, "Who is that man? He's jolly good isn't he!"

As usual it was the legends, Sir Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Sir Paul McCartney who stole the show and it begs a question.. What will happen when these guys get too old to do all this? Who is going to replace them? Cheryl Cole? Will.iam? I doubt it! Which younger artists are going to achieve such legendary status to headline such a big gig as a jubilee and pull it off?

As for our own celebrations, on Tuesday we enjoyed a nice couple of hours at Barnard Castle Cricket Club, where there was food, a bouncy castle and children's running races. It was very nice with and the weather in the North East just about held up.

                                                                                                       

There is nothing the British do better than pomp and ceremony and the jubilee did not let anyone down. As a British citizen it made me feel proud of my country, which is so often maligned even by our own people. It is a big year for this country, with the Olympics coming to London later in the summer and the eyes of the world will continue to be on the UK.