Royal Visit - Camilla Parker-Bowles

It’s time for those of you who have put St George flags on your cars ready for the World Cup to take them off and wave them in earnest. Royalty is coming to Lewes! Our town is blessed with the great honour of a visit from Her Majesty to be or not to be, the Duchess of Cornwall aka Camilla Parker-Bowles. The local lass with the colourful history is coming to open a new wrought iron gate leading into the garden at Anne of Cleves House Museum, designed by Ben Autie of Fisher Street. Now, I am not sure if Anne would actually approve - chaste wife of Henry VIII that she was - but we are all desperately excited about the visit of course. The local constabulary must be busy bussing in the crowd barriers.

Though maybe not all of us will be so thrilled. I am sure that Tom Paine, Lewes's great revolutionary, will be turning in his grave. Like him, I am not sure that we really do get value for money with the monarchy. You stand out in the rain for hours with a thermos flask, and then they turn up without a horse-drawn gilt carriage or crown in sight. Really, for all the cost they should be made to wear ermine-trimmed robes, garters, gold chains, orb and sceptres and be escorted by drum-playing Welsh guards in bearskin hats at all times. Pageantry is what our kids need. Perhaps it is time someone made a protest. JW