29 September 2007: Her Majesty, the Bookworm

My husband and I, (sounds very royal doesn't it?) really enjoyed listening to a download from the B.B.C. radio last week. It was Alan Bennet reading his book, "An Uncommon Read".

It was a story of Her Majesty, The Queen, walking round the kitchen area of the Palace grounds and coming across the mobile library! The Queen, always anxious to put everyone at their ease, chats with Norman, the kitchen lad and then, turning her attention to the librarian, borrows a book. It seems Her Majesty, so busy in her day to day duties, had had little chance to relax and read. She had met many famous living authors, but had never been able to discuss their books. She could only ask them the prescribed questions like "Have you come far?", "Did you have a good journey?" But the mobile library gets her hooked on reading and she becomes, (if you'll excuse the expression ma'am), a book worm!

Dominican teachers often talk about when they became book worms, reading as they went down the road to shop or to school. One described how someone saw her and told her parents. She was beaten, "for showing off and thinking you are better than everyone else! She was perceived as moving "above her station in life", Her Majesty in the mobile library, dropping below! I just hope that all children will one day find the moment when they too become book worms, whatever their station!