Royal Garden Party May 29th

Waiting to go in

This year the Royal Garden party was held much earlier than usual, and there were only 2 rather than the normal 3. This was due to both the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic Games.

The gates from inside the courtyard

Elaine & I were there today, just 2 amongst several thousand people!

We were fortunate in being able to see several members of the Royal Family, including the Queen and Prince Philip, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and the Duchess of Wessex and, probably the one most people wanted to see, the Duchess of Cambridge.

Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire’s Reception May 28th

It is usual, soon after all of the Hampshire Mayors and Chairmen, plus the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, have been inducted, for a reception to be held to meet the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire, Dame Mary Fagan, and this is held at Serle’s House in Winchester.

Serle’s House, which is owned by Hampshire County Council, was built about 1732 and has had several owners, including the Army and the Ecclesiastical Authority of the County Council of Southampton and the Isle of Wight. It was also the residence of the Judges to the Quarter Sessions. It became the Headquarters of the Hampshire Regiments in 1881 and was aquired by Hampshire County Council in 2001.

The ground floor of the house is home to the Museum of the Hampshire Regiment and is well worth a visit by anyone interested in Military campaigns.