h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't know if it's being in Scotland, but I am finding myself unmoved.

I am glad that their are street parties and that some children will have a nice day, because those are nice things for children.

What about you - does it mean anything to you?

Nothing. We are boycotting the street party. Someone at my work is boycotting the bank holiday and working anyway. There is a letter of thanks to the Queen in Birmingham cathedral. I find the idea that we should thank her isolating, she should thank us for keeping her in the style to which she has become accustomed. It is an anachronistic institution that puts privilege at the heart of the British political system. We shouldn't be celebrating.

Not isolating, insulting. I can't spell!

Nothing, whatsoever... As much a non-event as far as I'm concerned (and anyone I know in RL too), as the olympics IMO No idea if any street parties or anything are likely to occur round here or not... They were constructing a stage, yesterday on Jesus green, but I'm hoping that is just for strawberry fare, and not for the Jubilee..

I'm working because we get a day of annual leave extra for working a bank holiday, and it means I get slots on the MRI scanner to do my research on...

I hardly notice working 5 bank holidays, but I notice the extra week of leave, which I then don't take.

He won't get the time back, he's working as a political act. I'm not because I want the day off!

I do however agree with the sentiment. I object greatly to the moving of bank holidays to attach them to royalist propaganda.

Yes, the jubilee means something to me. It means some rich gal is still rich and still alive after a certain number of years.

You want to see this building wrap they put up near Blackfriars last week:

http://pictures.metro.co.uk/a-giant-jubilee-picture-of-the-royal-family-is-unveiled-at-sea-containers-house

Check out the gallery - some very amusing shots of the guys hanging it.

Nothing what so ever.

I don't care a button and I don't care a fig.


(but I'm not going to sea in a sieve)

It means an extra day off. Which I appreciate.

I know this is probably akin to saying "praise the lord" here, but I quite like the Queen, actually. I think she's been doing her duty for the last 60 years and doing it well.



Deb

OK, so I'll come out of the closet and say that I am rather enjoying it.

I like celebrations. I like birthday parties, weddings, I like Towel Day, I turn out for things like Bonfire Night fireworks and I am going to enjoy going to one of the big gatherings in London over the weekend. In red, white and blue clothes. I got a special union jack dress for my daughter and everything. Plus union jack nappies, although they are really for the Olympics. Which I will also enjoy.

Admittedly, I probably wouldn't bother if I had to go out of my way to attend the festivities. And it is also tue that we have foreign friends staying, so I feel obliged to ratchet up the British experience for them (I cooked them a rhubarb pie for their arrival and made them eat fish and chips yesterday).

It does mean I have mellowed in my approach to the Royal Family, but here's the thing. This celebration isn't so much about the Queen. It's just a state occasion. It could be about anything. It's like celebrating the 500th anniversary of parliament or the signing of this or that document or something. I'd get behind the protests more if they were about Royal Wedding coverage, which is a much more personal celebration. Russia threw a huge amount of effort into recrowning its president recently. Would we prefer to laud David Cameron instead? Surely because this is less meaningful, it's easier to just let go and enjoy the spectacle?

Except then I wouldn't get to chortle over the hats.

*mutters* edit function *mutters* The hats comment was supposed to go with the Royal Wedding florish.

I don't think you'll get much flak on h2g2 for saying that you like Mrs Windsor, deb.

I don't think it is less meaningful. It celebrates a form of government which isn't based on power of the people, which enshrines privilege at a time when the idea that government is a committee of the privileged making decisions in the interest of the ruling class feels very real. The Queen still formally power. Powers exercised on her behalf by the PM (through royal prerogative) aren't fully scrutinised by parliament; significant powers like the power to declare war fall into this class of PM power. A number of appointees to public positions are made by the PM on behalf of the Queen. The monarchy is a significant source of unaccountable power in UK government, this is what we are celebrating.

I feel like we're being given something (a bank holiday yay cake yay) to distract us from the true exercise of power.

Damn it I should work the bank holiday...I'll need some childcare...

Such a faint hearted republican.

Oh and I felt just the same about the royal wedding, boycotted the street party for that too.

It's been more than 100 years since the last Jubilee. After this one, who knows if there will will ever be another? This isn't, like Halley's Comet, which reliably comes along every 76 years. Why not just enjoy such a rare, one-of-a-kind event?

When Britain desperately needed a Queen with tact, a retentive mind, and a good nature, the Fates generously provided one. It could have been otherwise. Don't underestimate the power of a good nature. It's all that one has left after everything else has been taken away as, of course, it eventually will be.

"Damn it I should work the bank holiday...I'll need some childcare..."

Oh, I'm sure the queen will pay for childcare out of love and devotion to her subjects.

It's difficult to dislike the Queen. We English just aren't natural revolutionaries. We prefer to get behind the monarch and be thankful we're not like all those foreigners. It's preserved us for nearly a thousand years (apart from one ugly civil war, which we're all a bit embarrassed about)

That's a work of fiction, though, Icy.

We put on a good show in this country. Does it bring in more money to the economy than we splash out? The Queen works hard, for sure. But what's with the several houses malarkey? How many homes does someone need? Why am I supposed to bow if I meet her? Shouldn't she be bowing to me? I'm the one who has struggled hard to cope and survive without privilege and buckets of £££ just because of my lineage. I might bow if she sold of some of her stuff to get some homeless folk off the streets or something.