This has partly been passed on to me from my mother, who loved the young Queen. While a teenager in 1953, my mum collected coronation memorabilia. I now have a worn out coronation glass, an old coronation coach and somewhere in the house is a makeup compact with the queen resplendent on the front. Fortunately my mum’s interest in royalty stopped there! Just the Queen - none of the others! Oh she did like to tell the tragic love story of Princess Margaret and Peter Townsend....
When I went to London as a nineteen year old, I joked that I had gone to London to visit the Queen. Well be careful what you say in jest, because, while I was there, I actually did see the Queen. At fairly close quarters too.
A childhood friend, Brendan, was touring England with a special cricket team called the Victorian Crusaders. Part of their tour was to play various teams, including the Queens Guard at a private match at Windsor Castle – really just a back yard cricket match at the Queen’s place. I didn’t have a clearance to attend as a guest, but, being young and rather silly, I decided I couldn’t possibly miss out on seeing Brendan actually meet the Queen. And besides, I was in the neighbourhood!
So I headed up to Windsor Castle. After wandering around the grounds a bit, I worked out where the cricket field was and literally, like the country girl I am, jumped the fence.........where I came face to face with a burly beef eater guard. After I explained to him the significance of seeing my lifelong friend meet the Queen and telling him I’d come all the way from Australia, well, he simply let me in. I wandered across the cricket field toward the gathering of people. Brendan couldn't believe it! (I was probably waving at him like a maniac, grinning like a cheshire cat!) I wouldn’t say I slipped in unnoticed into the garden party as I do recall wearing multi coloured vertically striped leggings with a short black dress trimmed in fur, a big black bouffant bob and false eyelashes.
There I was! At a private bbq in the Queen’s back yard! Then suddenly, there was the Queen. I was star struck and took a couple of terrible photos. Lucky I did though because if I didn't have the photos to prove it I probably wouldn't believe this story myself.
After a while in her presence, the Queen just seemed to be a little old lady – in black patent shoes and bright blue frock. It made me homesick for my granny.
A vintage stamp brooch was the brainchild of fellow sister outlaw, Lynne. Inspired, I hopped to it and made one, thinking that the most ubiquitous and recognisable stamp in the commonwealth must surely be the one with the Queen’s head on it. And sister outlaw supplies had the perfect mini white ric rac on hand to be the perforated stamp edge. 
The first one I made was too big, the second one better and third was just right. Now it’s ready for release!
So whether you’re a royalist, a republican, a cricketer or a punk singing "god save the queen, the fascist regime", this vintage stamp brooch will surely appeal to the nostalgia in everyone?(Punks can wear it with irony...)She’s not a bad old stick, is she?posted by sister outlaw Julianne
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