Wheelbarrow Race! (The Golden Jubilee)

Member Name: mreyre

Product:	The Golden Jubilee
Date:	07/02/02 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: of great historical significance, keeps people in work I suppose, brings in the tourists

Disadvantages: lots of taxpayers money, no=one is interested anymore, can you still buy cocktail sticks and little sausages??

One of the earliest memories I have is the 1977 Silver Jubilee. I was a sweet and innocent three year old. I still have vivid memories of the day - the atmosphere was amazing, all the neighbourhood clubbing together on this one huge all-day street party. There were red, white and blue banners hanging from every house and the street was closed to traffic. We all wore silly crown hats and ate sausages and cheese on sticks.

My parents still have a photo album which is full of Silver Jubilee pictures - one of which features the Dad's Wheelbarrow Race, which involved the Dad's pushing their sons and daughters around an obstacle course in wheelbarrows. My Dad swears that his back has never been the same since.

I wonder how many youngsters of the day still have their commemmorative souveniers of the day - I know I have and am very proud that I took part in the celebration.

However, in 2002, society is VERY different to that of the late seventies. Children are forced to grow up quicker, we now have the National Curriculum, and no-one seems bothered about the Royal Family any more. I'm afraid this is one of those topics where I have to sit on the fence, as I studied History at University so I look at the Royal Family from a historic point of view. Perhaps in modern day society the Royal Family is no longer necessary, when most people are much more concerned about our "alternative" Royal Family, ie. "Posh and Becks."

Although the world is a larger and more populated place than in 1977, unfortunately, the world is now a less friendly place. Gone are the days when you would call round to next door's house to borrow a cup of sugar. In the world of the internet you could order a bag of sugar from Tescos.com! (If anyone still does borrow cups of sugar from their neighbour, I'd be interested!) These days, people war with their neighbours over shared driveways or the size of their Leylandii trees. Organising
street parties of the magnitude we had in 1977 would be completely impractical.

Also, so many people these days are simply not bothered about the Royal Family, and the generations coming up know very little. There was a survey recently published in a national newspaper which interviewed several hundred primary school children, asking them to name the Queen's children, and not one of them could name them all.

To put this to the test, I asked my class of 7 -9 year olds (24 children). Unsuprisingly, not one of them knew either. Some adults I spoke to were suprised about this, but as a teacher, I know that the Royal Family is not taught as part of the National Curriculum. In the days of competitive league tables for Literacy and Numeracy, we have no time left to teach about the Royals of today! Now, the Government set the Curriculum, so why is the Royal Family not taught in schools any more - strange that!

Secondly, I notice that us teachers are getting a poor deal from this so called "double-bank holiday", ie. the Monday and Tuesday in June as we are on half-term anyway, so we don't get any extra days off! Booooo! I notice that many of the large supermarkets are all going to remain open on the Queen's Jubilee day, too.

It is a shame that a day with such historical note is going to pass us by with so little interest, but that's life in the new Millennium, folks!

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