JAMIE STONE: There was one other time I crossed paths with the King...
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In Heathrow airport, a Peer of the Realm – who had probably better remain nameless – moaned to me that, despite his name being in the hat, he was unlikely to get a seat in Westminster Abbey on the big day because so many other Peers – “hundreds of them” – were also in the hat.
There was a time when all Peers would have been invited, but today we live in changed times.
As my plane headed Inverness-wards, I fell into a daydream. He is King Charles III now but in his days as Prince Charles there can be no doubt that all of us in the far north were very lucky over many years to have him come every summer to the Castle of Mey.
The Mey Highland Games, new spots opened, art exhibitions visited, local products sampled, goodness knows how many people spoken to. People living in the far north absolutely loved it. My eyes now half closing, images of his various appearances came back to me – Wick, Tain, Golspie, Thurso…
And then suddenly I was wide awake. Why, I had so very nearly forgotten! Way back there was another time when our paths had crossed. Well, nearly.
“Stone, Leach and Muirhead, come to the office now!”
The manager Mary Bedwell (what a name) was summoning us. We looked at each other. Oh Lord, could it be that the lavatories in the Red Block were bunged up again? A cleaner’s job, particularly in the Loch Kishorn oil fabrication yard in Wester Ross, had its challenges.
“Have you got ties with you in your portacabins?” This was as jackets and shirts were handed to us. “This afternoon everything has got to look smart – you and the toilets. Special visitor you see!”
Up behind Kishorn there is a Victorian lodge where gentlemen of yore would have stayed to fish, shoot and stalk. When the minibus dropped us off, we went straight to the loos and gave them an extra special dust and polish. Plenty of paper and fresh soap by the taps.
“You absolutely must stay out of sight. Disappear as soon as we have word Prince Charles and the management have finished looking at the Ninian Central platform and are on their way up to the lodge.”
We obeyed our very firm orders and rendered ourselves entirely invisible. Whether our facilities ever facilitated, we never knew. An hour or two later HRH was back on board HMY Britannia.
“You have done an excellent job, lads – tuck in.”
The left-over ham, salad, strawberries and cream were delicious. We gorged ourselves.
“Hand the jackets and shirts back tomorrow morning.”
I'm sure I have a "thank you" letter from management somewhere, from "on the occasion of His Royal Highness's visit". Perhaps its whereabouts – inevitably somewhere intended for safekeeping – will come back to me in another daydream...
- Jamie Stone is the Lib Dem MP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross.
