Just a quickie

I'm rather pushed for time today.  Almost as soon as I'm back rom walking the dog after breakfast I shall be setting off again to visit one of the Riding for the Disabled groups.  This particular group specialises in carriage driving and last year Brighton Lions paid for a new carriage for them.  This morning we will have a formal presentation of it.  Then late this afternoon I will be attending a concert being staged  to mark the diamond jubilee by the school my grandsons attend.

On that subject - the jubilee - you might, if you area regular reader, know that the Old Bat and I were in France over the bank holiday weekend when most of the celebratory events were held.  I somehow missed recording the Thames pageant and, given the criticism I have heard on the inane commentary by the BBC's presenters, I am not sorry.  However, we have now watched everything else except the Queen's address to the nation.  We didn't know about that beforehand.  I have never seen English crowds so exhuberant, although to call the crowds English is a stretch as there were Canadian, Australian, American and numerous other nationalities represented.  At one point when Prince Charles spoke after the concert the crowd started chanting, "Philip, Philip," in reference to the Duke of Edinburgh, then in hospital.  As the Queen arrived at St Pauls for the service there were chants of "God save the Queen".  I've certainly never heard the like.  And to see the crowds massing down the Mall, just as they did after the wedding last year - wow, what a sight!

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Unlike any other town or city I know - except New York - Brighton's taxis are all painted in the same livery - white with turquoise bonnet and boot.  There are usually plenty of them at the East Street taxi rank.