I know everyones saying it – but what a shame about the weather

Yesterday I saw the Queen’s vessel getting a good going over .

The Royal barge is moored next to Richmond bridge .It’s very gold and red and beautiful . My Dad Geoffrey would have loved to have seen the fleet of ships go down The Thames. He loved ,and worked on the river . Nearly every year ,we’d go up and watch ‘the Doggett’s Coat and Badge Race’ , which is supposed to be the oldest rowing race in the world. . Up to 6 Apprentices ( nothing to do with Lord Sugar ) of the river compete in a rowing race from London bridge to Chelsea Bridge. As members of The Waterman’s Company ,we’d follow behind in a group of launches .It was very special and a real honour to win …oh and very boozy and traditional and exactly the same meal every year .

Following on the Geoffrey theme, today we are going out for lunch with Geoffrey’s younger sister ,Auntie Grace and my cousins Philip and Robert and Louise any other Browns that happen to be around . Then tonight we are going to the Young Vic to see ‘The Suit ‘ .Geoffrey always wore a suit to the city .Then he got the launderette and he went casual ( always had the fag and the snaeaky gin & it though )!