The Queen Mother was in Australia
I had been flying with B.O.A.C for a long time. I was on my way to Johannesburg, we had night stops on the way.
When we got to Nairobi, another night stop, quite out of the blue I got a call from London to say 'get to Entebbe at once.'
The Super-Constellation that had carried the Queen Mother, not for the first time, had broken down!
Members of the crew of B.O.A.C Britannia airline were flown to Kenya in case we were needed to fly her home. I had arrived.
The Captain of the Constellation was flying around to see if all was ok! The crew were sitting away from us and we from them!
When it landed the Captain said all's well and we will leave tonight. Two of the happiest members were the two stewardesses, Toni Robinson of Kenya (me) and Elizabeth Dunnett of Southern Rhodesia.
The Chief steward, Mr Jame Covey, had supervised the provision of special fare of buffet supper and lunchtime. It consisted of Cayman Island turtle soup, Dover sole with shrimps, grilled lamb cutlet, fresh fruit salad and cream. The buffet supper consisted of smoked Scotch salmon, caviar roast spring chicken and fresh fruit.
"We are leaving tonight” this was not what we wanted to hear. The Queen Mother had been looked after during the wait. We were standing very close to where she entered the other plane.
The Chief steward, Mr Jame Covey, had supervised the provision of special fare of buffet supper and lunchtime. It consisted of Cayman Island turtle soup, Dover sole with shrimps, grilled lamb cutlet, fresh fruit salad and cream. The buffet supper consisted of smoked Scotch salmon, caviar roast spring chicken and fresh fruit.
"We are leaving tonight” this was not what we wanted to hear. The Queen Mother had been looked after during the wait. We were standing very close to where she entered the other plane.
Our Captain said we would be leaving half an hour later. We will land in Rome and then back home. Inside our plane it looked amazing Flowers everywhere. Two beds at the back for the Queen Mother, comfortable seats.
We all felt very sad, we all starting eating all the lovely food! It was then time to get to sleep.
I said to Elizabeth, I will go first, then wake me and then your turn. All the others were sleeping spread out everywhere. I was saying to myself “I am sleeping in the Queen Mothers bed". I only took of my shirt. In no time it was Elizabeth's turn. I then sat just outside where the captain is. I have to keep awake BUT PANIC. The Caption opened his door and said 'We are landing in MALTA very soon, wake everyone and sort out everything'.
The flowers were dead, the crew were all in a mess, I was trying to brush down my uniform down. We landed in Malta it was dark! The other plane had problems again. Then before we knew it the Queen Mother was coming aboard! There were about fifteen others all in the front of the plane The Queen Mother was in the bed we hadn’t used!
After a while we started breakfast. One of the Queens Mothers ladies asked the Queen Mother what she would like. This was passed to one person and then to another! It seemed a long time before it came to us! It went back the same way!
The rest of the people were in the front of the plane.
Two men were siting together, I asked what they would like for breakfast? "Scramble eggs” In my day we had to make this our-self. The pair of them started telling me what the man had done when they had landed in Australia. He was to give them at once all the keys to open all the trunks and at once and given to the lady in waiting. "We looked for him every where and in the end found him tucked up with a woman, under a tree!"
Now it was time to meet the Queen Mother. The Captain went first. Then my turn. The Queen Mother was very kind. She asked me how long I had been flying with B.O.A.C. “Seven Years”.
When you leave her or any Royals you must always go backward, not so easy when the plane is moving about!
Mr Covy and I started making the drink we knew the Queen Mother would like. One always must wear gloves when with Royalty. When the UK flight had arrived in Entebbe they had brought some gloves for me but they were far to long! I had a dreadful time trying to pull them up when making the drink!
We all felt very sad, we all starting eating all the lovely food! It was then time to get to sleep.
I said to Elizabeth, I will go first, then wake me and then your turn. All the others were sleeping spread out everywhere. I was saying to myself “I am sleeping in the Queen Mothers bed". I only took of my shirt. In no time it was Elizabeth's turn. I then sat just outside where the captain is. I have to keep awake BUT PANIC. The Caption opened his door and said 'We are landing in MALTA very soon, wake everyone and sort out everything'.
The flowers were dead, the crew were all in a mess, I was trying to brush down my uniform down. We landed in Malta it was dark! The other plane had problems again. Then before we knew it the Queen Mother was coming aboard! There were about fifteen others all in the front of the plane The Queen Mother was in the bed we hadn’t used!
After a while we started breakfast. One of the Queens Mothers ladies asked the Queen Mother what she would like. This was passed to one person and then to another! It seemed a long time before it came to us! It went back the same way!
The rest of the people were in the front of the plane.
Two men were siting together, I asked what they would like for breakfast? "Scramble eggs” In my day we had to make this our-self. The pair of them started telling me what the man had done when they had landed in Australia. He was to give them at once all the keys to open all the trunks and at once and given to the lady in waiting. "We looked for him every where and in the end found him tucked up with a woman, under a tree!"
Now it was time to meet the Queen Mother. The Captain went first. Then my turn. The Queen Mother was very kind. She asked me how long I had been flying with B.O.A.C. “Seven Years”.
When you leave her or any Royals you must always go backward, not so easy when the plane is moving about!
Mr Covy and I started making the drink we knew the Queen Mother would like. One always must wear gloves when with Royalty. When the UK flight had arrived in Entebbe they had brought some gloves for me but they were far to long! I had a dreadful time trying to pull them up when making the drink!
We were starting our decent. What had been worrying The Queen Mother? Was it with all the delays that we wouldn’t be back in time for her to go to the Cheltenham Festival Racecourse? Its one of her very favourite racecourse, it has the best jumping action in the world.
We were descending fast. She was so excited The Queen and others were there to meet her. Yes she did make the CHELTENHAM Gold Cup! It was the next day!
All of us got off the plane and lined up while our Captain took the Queen Mother to meet us all. Myself and Elizabeth were standing together when a man came up to us and started asking us what the QUEEN MOTHER had said to us during the flight but before we said anything another bloke grabbed us and took us away!
That evening the news did nothing but praising the plane that kept on failing! My friends knew I had gone to Johannesburg but wondered why I was back!
We were descending fast. She was so excited The Queen and others were there to meet her. Yes she did make the CHELTENHAM Gold Cup! It was the next day!
All of us got off the plane and lined up while our Captain took the Queen Mother to meet us all. Myself and Elizabeth were standing together when a man came up to us and started asking us what the QUEEN MOTHER had said to us during the flight but before we said anything another bloke grabbed us and took us away!
That evening the news did nothing but praising the plane that kept on failing! My friends knew I had gone to Johannesburg but wondered why I was back!
