Jeanne Watt and Alison Green were delighted to receive invitations to a Buckingham Palace Garden Party last Wednesday, 3rd May.
There were 8000 guests including many volunteers and representatives of different charities. Jeanne and Alison had been nominated anonymously in recognition of their many years of involvement with the Haddenham Fish (Good Neighbours) Scheme which is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this month with a tea party. It was set up in 1973 by Dick Curtis and local GP's wife, Heather Handfield-Jones.
Jeanne and Alison have been involved with the Fish Scheme for about 40 years, doing their current jobs of Chairman and Secretary since 1995 and 1990 respectively.
Both were heavily involved in providing assistance during the Covid lockdown period: Jeanne organised 'phone buddies' and 'shopping buddies' while Alison organised prescription deliveries and pharmacy assistance for Covid jabs.
Alison's guest was her husband, Jim, who has been a Fish Scheme driver since he retired. He also helped lead a team of volunteers delivering prescriptions to people around the village who were self-isolating during the Covid lockdown.
Jeanne's guest was Mary White who, for 27 years, has been a volunteer driver and also on the Phone Rota, taking a turn at organising lifts for a week at a time for people going for medical appointments, to the hairdresser's, shopping, etc. During the Covid pandemic, Mary was also a 'phone buddy'.
The guests, wearing their day dresses and obligatory hats, were welcomed in the extensive Palace garden by King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh (formerly the Earl and Countess of Wessex), the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Kent. They were then free to walk in the garden, where rhododendrons and camellias were in bloom, and sit by the lake, listen to the band which was playing, and enjoy some fantastic food and cups of tea.
Quite by chance, the Haddenham volunteers met three people, and dogs, representing the Buckinghamshire-based charity, Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. They found that everyone they met was very friendly.
The Fish Scheme is always pleased to welcome new volunteer drivers and also people to take a turn at booking drivers for the 1000 or so trips done each year.
If you can help, please telephone Jeanne on 291337 or Alison on 292088.
Christina Jeffery
