OK, so I didn’t actually go to the party at The Palace but my SISTER did, so that’s almost the same, isn’t it?

I think I’ve introduced you to my sister Sarah before. In comparison to Sarah, I’m the quiet, mousey one of the family, so to be honest, when I heard that her husband Karl had received an invitation from the Queen to a garden party at Buckingham Palace, I was a little concerned. I was imagining Sarah dressed up to the nines, trying to wrestle a cushion, a bottle of champagne wedged under her armpit, while climbing into a luxury hammock hung (for effect only) by one of the country’s top garden designers.

Karl is a sensible chap, so I was fairly confident that the nation wouldn’t get a flash of her ‘Bridget Joneses‘ on the evening news, while being escorted out on to the Mall by two burly busby wearing soldiers.

Sarah and Karl arrived on Tuesday evening, just in time to help put the shop away. She stepped out of the car with a glass of prosecco in her hand, her hair recently coiffed and hair-sprayed to within an inch of it’s life, she staggered into the shop where I was working on one of 25 floral arrangements in enormous fluted vases. I rather quickly stopped what I was doing and guided her carefully backwards out of the shop, plonking her into a wicker chair which was just outside the door.

Once Sarah was safely out of harms way, we shut up shop and made our way to the cottage garden, for a glass or two of Hennings‘ finest Rosé.

The next day, after several hours of applying make up, dressing and sprucing, Karl and Sarah made their way down the hill to the shop. They looked absolutely stunning!

I bundled them both into the Flower van and dropped them off at Pulborough station. Luckily there are 3 seats in the front, so no one had had to get in with the water buckets in the back. Although, Karl is a naval submariner so I’m sure he would have felt at home in the back.

The day went swimmingly. There were no hammocks, Sarah was not ejected, she didn’t feature in the evening news and they both enjoyed an amazing afternoon tea… YES, TEA there was NO ALCOHOL at all! Sarah made up for that slight disappointment by visiting the sandwich tent more than once . Apparently the food was exquisite, significantly better than Waitrose or even Marks & Spencer’s finest.

You’d think given multiple trips to the buffet, Sarah would have slipped a slice of cake or piece of quiche in her handbag for ME but NO, I got nothing!!!

It would appear that taking a doggie bags home was strictly prohibited and slipping a royal sausage roll into one’s handbag could have serious repercussions. Sarah didn’t spot any Corgis, but I think they are there to sniff out any sausage smugglers.

Talking of Sausage Smugglers, this might be a good time to reveal my plans for a BOOK.. Life as the Village Florist Unblogged! (containing details and events that I can’t put into my weekly blog).

WATCH THIS SPACE!