MY father is still very much with us, and no doubt will be for decades to come.
But when my dad does pass away, I don’t imagine I will ever look forward to the anniversary of his death.
So I was a little concerned to learn this week about an elderly woman from London who spent Monday celebrating the fact that her father had died exactly 60 years ago.
For those of you who missed it, the Queen marked the passing of her father – that’s King George VI – with a jolly little trip to meet some schoolchildren in King’s Lynn.
Back in London, there was a 41-gun salute in Hyde Park and a 62-gun salute at the Tower of London.
As if that wasn’t enough, the Church of England General Synod had a wee sing of the national anthem to celebrate the occasion and a new set of stamps was issued on Monday as well.
All this, I repeat, to mark the fact that the Queen’s dad died 60 years ago to the day.
But it’s not enough to spend just one day celebrating George VI’s passing. Oh no. There has to be a whole year of events – preferably funded by the taxpayer – as part of something called the diamond jubilee.
Maybe you’re one of the many people who like this kind of thing. Perhaps you’re chomping at the bit to get the bunting out and have a good old-fashioned knees-up.
But when you’re having your street party in a few months’ time, just remember this: you’re celebrating the fact that a man died.
