Everyone seems to be relating their experiences of meeting the Queen, but that’s something that I never did although she did zoom past me in her very posh car when I was about six years old. My school had been taken to the street outside the school so we could see her going past. She had been in Dumbarton to open the new county council offices, and John my biggest big brother, who is twelve years older than me was part of the guard.

If you look at the photo below the Queen’s left shoulder is situated right in the middle of John’s chest. He had been in the Territorial Army, I think he joined to learn to drive and they also went skiing and mountaineering. I don’t suppose he ever thought he would end up being inspected by the Queen. They were kitted out with very special uniforms and they weren’t even allowed to put anything in the sporran, so after it was over and he went home he didn’t have a key to get into the house and everyone else was either at work or school. So he climbed in via the kitchen window and not long after that the police arrived as a neighbour had phoned them to say that our house was being burgled. We still laugh about it – as who could believe that anyone would go burgling in full Highland dress uniform?!

Doesn’t the Queen look so young though.