Wednesday 1^st July 2015 was definitely a day for

recording in the family archives!

Having been awarded an MBE in the 2015 New Year Honours List ‘for voluntary service to people with dyslexia in Scotland’ the 1^st of July was the day of the Investiture at the Palace of Holyrood House.  I could take three people with me so in addition to my husband I could take only two out of our four adult children and 17-year-old twin grandchildren.  As it worked out, coming as it did on a Wednesday and in term time, only our older son Daniel and younger daughter Helen were able to make the day.

We drove into the forecourt of Holyrood between 10.00 and 10.15 as instructed and were then separated as recipients were kept in a nearby room until we went in one by one to receive our award.  The ceremony began at 11.00 and was held in the beautiful green and gold Great Gallery and as I stood at the door waiting my turn to step inside I could see the sun shining in at the huge open ceiling-to-floor windows and hear the string orchestra playing in the background.  It was lovely!

It was only as we were being briefed beforehand that we were told that it would be the Queen herself who was giving the awards.  We were all busy trying to remember our instructions – walk forward, turn to face the Queen, curtsey, receive the award, chat, shake hands, take two steps back, curtsey then walk away – but the moment passed off without a hitch!

What was really wonderful and made the day very special was that despite all the security checks and all the ceremonial aspects with the Archers lining the room, the Lord Chamberlain and the Equerries in their uniforms and countless others in various elaborate uniforms, all the many people who were working very hard to make the ceremony go smoothly and through whose hands we had to pass at the various stages made sure that it was all a very relaxed and happy occasion.