Platinum Jubilee Celebrations – a National Rust view
We asked our correspondents in various fields for their views on last weekend’s Celebrations.
SPORT
I thought sport was underrepresented.
We have had three World Cup wins by men during Her Majesty’s reign – in Football, Cricket and Rugby Union.
Women have won four in Cricket and 2 in Rugby World Cups.
I guess the Queen likes racing best, but I would have showcased George – and his nephew Ben – Cohen who won World Cup medals in their sports.
Also omitted were Olympians Harry Llewelyn, Mary Rand, David Hemery, Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, Stephen Redgrave and Bradley Wiggins.
Then there are the individual champions in their sport: Sir Nick Faldo and Rory McIlroy; Lewis Hamilton and Jackie Stewart; Andy Murray; and Chris Froome.
Tom Hollingsworth.
ART
In sculpture alone there have been during the reign Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Elizabeth Frink, Anish Kapoor – and in painting David Hockney, L.S. Lowry, Graham Sutherland, Lucian Freud – and though born in Ireland – Francis Bacon who should have been recognised.
The late Queen Mother was both an admirer and collector of Ted Seago, who taught Prince Charles and accompanied the Duke of Edinburgh on HMS Britannia to Antarctica.
Alice Mansfield
MUSIC
Although there was a concert I still think the great musical achievements of the Sixties could have been better recognised.
I would have had a top choir singing a medley of Beatles and Rolling Stones hits.
Also Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice revitalised the musical.
Michael Stuart
BOOKS
I would have thought John le Carre, William Boyd , Ian McEwan , Sebastian Faulks and historian Antony Beevor merited inclusion.
Melanie Gay
ACTORS
British actors have dominated stage and screen.
The careers of the four knights – Gielgud, Olivier, Guinness and Richardson – extended well into the reign, after which the list is endless but I would have in it Antony Hopkins, Peter O’Toole, Paul Schofield, Ben Kingsley, Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh, Derek Jacobi, Alan Bates, Tom Courtenay, Albert Finney, Simon Russell-Beale, Sir Ian McKellen, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson, Judi Dench, Kristin Scott Thomas and Maggie Smith.
Tim Holdford-Smith