Some days are.

Me, Ronnie Hughes and Fiona Shaw in Russell Square. A gorgeous golden moment.

Some days you know are days you’ll always remember, even when they’re happening. And this was one.

Me, my partner Ronnie Hughes and our good friend and adviser of ‘all things book’ Fiona Shaw, are off to London for the day to attend an awards ceremony. The 2011 British Medical Association (BMA) Medical Book Awards have recognised my book Being Sarah. Out of nearly 700 entries it’s rated as Highly Commended in the section of Popular Medicine, which means it’s in the top 15% of books that have been reviewed. We are all delighted.

We meet at the station in Liverpool and get the train to London, happily chatting for the two hours it takes, and look at the gastronomical recommendations for our lunch from Ronnie’s friend Liam Black. The sort of restaurants that say ‘napery’, meaning table cloths. All much posher than we’re used to, but hey, this is a day off, a celebration!

A right royal day out

19 July 2011, me and Fiona Shaw about to board the 9.48 to London

Dear readers, many of you will know that last  week I was invited to the garden party at Buckingham Palace. Many of you have asked me for full details, which I am happy to provide, so this blog post is long, longer than usual, and describes the day in full. Because this event is only by invite (I’ve written about that in my previous post), and it’s not something that many of us ‘subjects’ will get to go to, a once in a lifetime opportunity. So… this could be a description of a lazy summer afternoon strolling around the gardens at Buckingham Palace, sipping tea and eating delightfully small cucumber sandwiches. Which it is. But it’s also a reflection on what modern Britain actually means.

On Tuesday, Fiona Shaw, publisher and editor of my book as well as good friend, suggests we leave Liverpool at a ‘civilised’ time, so we catch the 9.48 from Lime Street, and arrive in London just before midday carrying, not wearing, our hats.

We are both frustrated at how difficult it is to carry a hat and try and do ‘normal’ activities, like put your ticket into the underground machine. I am also carrying my parasol but I soon learn how to hang it over my wrist so it’s out of the way.

Festival of Britain at the Southbank

It’s the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain and there’s a celebration at the Southbank Centre of British culture and creativity, which is where we’re going first. We leave the underground at Embankment and cross the pedestrian bridge over the Thames. London sprawls before us. The sun comes out. The main avenue of the Southbank Centre is set up like an urban beach, with beach huts, sand, seaside planting and ice cream vans, plus the world’s longest bunting (really). It has a carnival atmosphere. We stroll around for and hour or so, and then find somewhere for lunch.

‘Love. Eat. Live.’ That’s the slogan of the restaurant. I like it! We sit outside even though the sky has now turned grey and rain threatens. After a full examination of the menu, we both decide on the British heritage selection, of fish and chips. Someone had said to me, ‘Make sure you have a big lunch because the sandwiches at the palace are tiny.’