The longer it went on the more I became a republican.
I have met a number of the Royal Family over the years in various roles and have always found them to be gracious and elegant, whether in St James' Palace, in the Cathedral in Bradford or in a friends front room for a Toc H Tea Party in Jarrow.
And Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee was worth celebrating if only for the uniquely British way the monarchy has maintained its place in a democratic society.
But the longer it went on the more I became a republican.
There was something not quite right about these celebrations.
A four day bank holiday which managed to hi jack the Christian celebration of the feast of the Holy Spirit, translate it to Trinity Sunday and then use the opportunity to create a total news black out.
The wealthy elite of the pop world fawning in front of Buckingham Palace, it is interesting to reflect what choice comment John Lennon would have ventured if he had accepted an invitation. One performer made it clear that his performance merited a Knighthood.
The longer it went on the more I became a republican.
The newspapers and the news media coverage was designed to make us all feel better about ourselves and ignore the uncomfortable fact that our society is more divided than it was in 1952.
It may be richer, there may be more money in the average Bankers pocket, we, or they, certainly drink more Bollinger, live in bigger houses, drive more expensive cars and collect art or whatever.
But that does not equate to society becoming more democratic.
At least the Archbishop used the opportunity to raise again some essential questions about the kind of society we want to be and the Guardian broke the story of the young unemployed folk brought to London as stewards by the company who have won the contract for the Olympics.
Well now it is over and in the tradition of bread and circuses the next big national focus will be on Football and the European Championships, like Eurovision I suspect that Sweden will triumph unless of course Spain can put their economic difficulties and the Mourinho inspired, rivalry between the their top clubs behind them.
It's fairly clear that England go into the championships as underdogs but that wont stop Mr Cameron promoting their chances.
As the young unemployed stewards voluntarily pick up the litter before their coach ride home the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces.
Only Baroness Warsi failed to keep her bad news story out of the press, she even featured in the cartoon in The Times.
Maybe by the end of this week real news will return to page and TV screen rather than another feature on the Princess of Cambridges' hat.
Of course real news is not as much fun, it's more painful to read.
How much better to ignore what is happening to our communities, our schools, our young people, our elderly and focus on elderly rock stars singing to an elderly Queen.
The longer it went on the more I became a republican.
This weekend our family Christened our youngest grandchild, she was baptised into the commonwealth of the people of faith which is a community of justice under God, redeemed by the Son and nurtured by the Spirit.
However wryly or cynically we view it, whatever thinking went on to transfer media interest from budgets and pasties and granny taxes to the achievements of the Queen and the Royal family, it is surely time now for the fifth estate to get back to doing its job and holding the government to account in order to ensure that our society as it seeks a new role in a rapidly changing world, tries to act as a community of justice among the nations.
I have met a number of the Royal Family over the years in various roles and have always found them to be gracious and elegant, whether in St James' Palace, in the Cathedral in Bradford or in a friends front room for a Toc H Tea Party in Jarrow.
And Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee was worth celebrating if only for the uniquely British way the monarchy has maintained its place in a democratic society.
But the longer it went on the more I became a republican.
There was something not quite right about these celebrations.
A four day bank holiday which managed to hi jack the Christian celebration of the feast of the Holy Spirit, translate it to Trinity Sunday and then use the opportunity to create a total news black out.
The wealthy elite of the pop world fawning in front of Buckingham Palace, it is interesting to reflect what choice comment John Lennon would have ventured if he had accepted an invitation. One performer made it clear that his performance merited a Knighthood.
The longer it went on the more I became a republican.
The newspapers and the news media coverage was designed to make us all feel better about ourselves and ignore the uncomfortable fact that our society is more divided than it was in 1952.
It may be richer, there may be more money in the average Bankers pocket, we, or they, certainly drink more Bollinger, live in bigger houses, drive more expensive cars and collect art or whatever.
But that does not equate to society becoming more democratic.
At least the Archbishop used the opportunity to raise again some essential questions about the kind of society we want to be and the Guardian broke the story of the young unemployed folk brought to London as stewards by the company who have won the contract for the Olympics.
Well now it is over and in the tradition of bread and circuses the next big national focus will be on Football and the European Championships, like Eurovision I suspect that Sweden will triumph unless of course Spain can put their economic difficulties and the Mourinho inspired, rivalry between the their top clubs behind them.
It's fairly clear that England go into the championships as underdogs but that wont stop Mr Cameron promoting their chances.
As the young unemployed stewards voluntarily pick up the litter before their coach ride home the rest of us are left to pick up the pieces.
Only Baroness Warsi failed to keep her bad news story out of the press, she even featured in the cartoon in The Times.
Maybe by the end of this week real news will return to page and TV screen rather than another feature on the Princess of Cambridges' hat.
Of course real news is not as much fun, it's more painful to read.
How much better to ignore what is happening to our communities, our schools, our young people, our elderly and focus on elderly rock stars singing to an elderly Queen.
The longer it went on the more I became a republican.
This weekend our family Christened our youngest grandchild, she was baptised into the commonwealth of the people of faith which is a community of justice under God, redeemed by the Son and nurtured by the Spirit.
However wryly or cynically we view it, whatever thinking went on to transfer media interest from budgets and pasties and granny taxes to the achievements of the Queen and the Royal family, it is surely time now for the fifth estate to get back to doing its job and holding the government to account in order to ensure that our society as it seeks a new role in a rapidly changing world, tries to act as a community of justice among the nations.
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