Nancy was my mother. I've written about her several times over the years but I've never told you about the time she was the (late) Queen's understudy.
When the Queen did an official visit to open or inspect anything, timings, safety etc had to be checked. Obviously HM knew exactly what she was doing but anyone due to be presented to her wouldn't be so sure. There would be a rehearsal so that everything would be alright on the big day.
In 1974 the Queen came to open a major steelplant in Scunthorpe but my mum (who was about the same height) was the understudy for the walk through. She had to arrive in the a car so positioning could be checked and red carpets perfected and then she walked though the steelworks. The stopwatch was in use throughout.
At one point she caught her heel on one of the many railway tracks which run through the works and the rehearsal had to stop until the problem was sorted. Everybody practised bows and curtsies, the photographers checked their angles then everyone went home (slightly more) confident about The Big Day.
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