Page 8 - PBCMarch2012

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine. Volume 9 No.1 March 2012
8
Pickwick visits the Palace.

My invitation to the Palace was unexpected but received with great pleasure. The event was a
th
reception hosted by Her Majesty to celebrate the 200 anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens.
Apparently she had spent the afternoon with the Prince Philip attending a performance of famous
scenes from the work of Charles and then hosted an evening event starting in the Palace at 6
o’clock.
The invitation included a pass to either drive into the Palace or by taxi be dropped inside the
Palace grounds. On arriving at the Palace the queues were such that it was far simpler to be
dropped immediately outside and to walk through the hallowed gates across the forecourt into
the inner quadrangle and then into the main building itself. There was a large crowd of onlookers
at the gates, obviously recognising that something was happening and would have been pleased
to see several stars of stage and screen passing through the portals into the reception.
Having deposited coats, phones, cameras, etc in the cloakroom we were ushered up steep, deep
piled carpets into the Throne Room where champagne and canapés were served. We mingled
with the great and the good, several members of the Dickens family and including our own
honorary member, Bos (Ian Dickens).
Some minutes later we were called into line and passed through into a large mirrored reception
room where we were formally introduced individually to Her Majesty and Prince Philip. On hearing
“The Pickwick Bicycle Club” Prince Philip enquired whether I rode a Penny Farthing to which of
course I replied in the affirmative.
Having met the Royal Couple we were ushered through the Blue Room, where the celebrities
and the Dickens family were waiting to meet the Royal Couple privately, into the Picture Gallery.
More canapés and glasses of champagne were available there. In this Picture Gallery, from the
Royal Archives, were laid out various books and memorabilia representing the history of Charles
Dickens and his work in the theatre, Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens including several letters
from Charles to Her Majesty. Details of Queen Victoria’s visits to the theatre and various
Dickensian performances, were there and also of Dickensian London and Bos.
Together with the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, and the
Princess Alexandra were also present .Then all members of the Royal Family mingled with the
guests within the Picture Gallery. Also present were a number of stars of stage and screen
including Griff Rhys Jones, Simon Callow, Patsy Kensit, Rowan Atkinson, John Nettles and Donald
Sinden and others. I was delighted to meet with Ron Moody and discuss matters generally with
him and his wife. He expressed with fondness his memories of attending the Pickwick Bicycle
Club on his two occasions.
I was delighted again to meet Gerald Dickens, the actor who was for a time a member of The
Club as Bos, prior to Ian taking over.
In all it was a thoroughly entertaining evening, much enjoyed, and I fully appreciated the honour
of representing The Club at this historic gathering.
Samuel Pickwick.