Mike Meets the Queen


This arose as a result of my involvement with the project to research a write a history of the Royal School for the Blind, Liverpool(see publications).

This was to celebrate the bi-centennial celebration of the oldest school of its kind in the world. As patron, the Queen was invited to visit the School in the anniversary year, 1991. Prior to the visit I was asked to prepare an exhibition on the History of the School using illuminated display boards and archives and artifacts. I was to introduce this to the Queen, while talking about the foundation of the school. This was to last about 10 minutes.

 [Queen & car Pic.]

[David Alton M.P.Pic.] The Queen arrived outside to be greeted by the then local M.P. for Mossley Hill, David Alton.

When the Queen entered the School my room was to be her first point of call. I was alone in there, very nervous and desperatly trying to remember what I was going to say. As no one is allowed to walk in front of the Queen, for a moment we were alone in the room - a wierd moment. The Queen was swiftly followed by the press who gathered at one end of the room ready for the first introduction of the day.

As I took her hand all the cameras went off - famous for a nano-second!

I then had to give the Queen a brief resume of the school's history and the archive on show.

I was impressed by how much the Queen knew about the school already. The Queen showed great interest in the archives, asking pointed questions throughout.

[Book for Queen Pic.]

After she had made a full tour of the School, the Queen was presented with a special leather bound copy of my book as a momento of her visit.

 [Queen & Book Pic.]

[Letter Pic.] Later we received a thank you letter from the Palace, with a thank you for the book.

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