PKK rebels free kidnapped Briton in Turkey

Kurdish rebels have released a British tourist unharmed a day after his abduction in Turkey's south east, officials have said.

The Foreign Office confirmed the abduction and the subsequent release of the man, but did not provide his name.

"We can confirm that a British national has now been released," the Foreign Office said. "He has since been in touch with his family in the UK."

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency identified the man as James Masami Miyazaki-Ross. He was freed on Sunday evening near the town of Genc, about 25 miles north of where he was kidnapped, the governor's office in the south-eastern province of Diyarbakir said today.

The man was travelling on a bus when he was abducted by the rebels on Saturday night near the town of Lice, the agency said.

Kurdish rebels, fighting for autonomy, have kidnapped but released several foreign tourists unharmed to attract world attention to their cause since they took up arms in 1984. The rebels last kidnapped three German climbers from Mount Ararat in far-eastern Turkey in 2008 but released them unharmed.

The Briton, said to be in his mid-thirties, was abducted on Saturday when militants formed a roadblock by setting two vehicles on fire on a road from Diyarbakir to Bingol, in the country's restive, mainly Kurdish region, Turkish officials said. The bus's final destination had been the city of Trabzon on Turkey's Black Sea coast.

Security officials said they were trying to hunt down a band of up to 15 separatist fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) believed to be the abductors.

The PKK has kidnapped foreigners before, mainly during the 1990s, but abductions of tourists are now rare. The group has recently focused on attacking military targets in south-eastern Turkey.

Kidnapping of Turkish citizens, however, has continued.

Separately, two security personnel were killed when they stepped on an improvised explosive device laid by PKK militants in the Lice district of Diyarbakir province, security officials said on Monday. One of the men killed was the commander of Lice's gendarme, or military police force.

The PKK, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has stepped up attacks on Turkish security targets over the past year after a ceasefire between the militants and the Turkish state broke down.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the militants took up arms in 1984 as part of their fight for more Kurdish autonomy and rights.

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HS2 rail 'dither and delay' criticised by Lord Adonis

High speed rail between London and Birmingham might not be achieved in the 2020s because of "endless dither and delay" by the Government, former transport secretary Lord Adonis has warned.

The Labour peer said plans to get HS2 on to the statute book by the end of this parliament could fall victim to wrangling between the coalition parties ahead of the next general election, scheduled for 2015.

The highly-controversial £33 billion network was given the go ahead in January, with a line between London and Birmingham expected to open by 2026.

Urging Prime Minister David Cameron to get a grip on the issue, Lord Adonis said: "If infrastructure projects are going to happen they need someone who is going to drive them forward, and that simply isn't present.

"We are already on the second transport secretary since the election, the Transport Department has had three permanent secretaries in the last two years. There has been endless dither and delay.

"No one is gripping this, no-one is driving this forward. There should have been a Bill for HS2 in the Queen's Speech when apparently we are instead going to be spending month after month debating House of Lords reform."

Lord Adonis, who got the HS2 project under way while in government, said he was concerned about the pace of the scheme.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "It took the last government 14 months to set in train the whole plan for HS2 from London to Birmingham and we started the work on the route north to Manchester to Leeds.

"This government has been in office for two years and three months and very little of substance has happened since the election.

"They've carried out one consultation but we still don't have the legislation to get the line up to Birmingham, they're delaying consultation on the compensation scheme and they still haven't published the routes north of Birmingham.

"The current transport secretary announced that she wasn't even going to publish that route until the autumn.

"So it'll be nearly four years after the last election until they produce the bill needed for HS2 and I think there's now a very good chance that legislation won't pass in this parliament. It could well get caught up in all the politics leading up to the next election and we may not see HS2 now in the 2020s."

He added: "There's been endless dither and delay, no one is gripping this, no one is driving it forward. There should have been a bill for HS2 in the Queen's Speech when instead we're apparently going to be spending month after month debating House of Lords reform.

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High Speed 2 (HS2) Support

The three major UK political parties: Conservative, Labour (albeit with some criticism of the proposed route) and the Liberal Democrats.    Greengauge 21, a not-for-profit research company which focuses on investigating high-speed rail technology,    The Campaign for HSR along with a number of other Councils in the north and North Midlands including Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, and Sheffield City Councils; both Glasgow and Edinburgh City Councils in Scotland and Cardiff and Swansea in Wales. The campaign group, which is led by Professor David Begg, aims to canvas support from businesses across the UK to promote the case for the proposed high-speed rail link. The campaign currently has support from over 400 UK businesses.    Go-HS2, a group comprising Centro, Birmingham City Council, Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, Birmingham Airport and the NEC Group. The objective of the group is to promote the benefits that its members believe HS2 will bring to Birmingham and the West Midlands.
    HS2 is also supported by the wider Passenger Transport Executives Group (PTEG) representing six such bodies.    The Scottish Government is generally supportive of the HS2 project and has been engaged in discussions with the UK Government about the development of a Scottish high-speed rail link connecting to London and continental Europe, with the aim of reducing journey times to London from Scotland to under 3 hours.    Support for the project has also been expressed by both the North East Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce. Support has been confirmed by local authorities in the North of England such as Manchester and Leeds City Councils    In January 2012 Hammersmith and Fulham Council reaffirmed its support for the project. The council's cabinet member for strategy was reported as saying "HS2 is the fastest way to deliver much-needed new homes, jobs and opportunities in one of London's poorest areas.

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High Speed 2 (HS2) Route

As proposed in March 2010, the line would run from London Euston, mainly in tunnel, to an interchange with Crossrail west of London Paddington, then along the New North Main Line (Acton-Northolt Line) past West Ruislip and alongside the Chiltern Main Line with a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) viaduct over the Grand Union Canal and River Colne, and then from the M25 to Amersham in a new 6 miles (9.7 km) tunnel. After emerging from the tunnel, the line would run parallel to the existing A413 road and London to Aylesbury Line, through the 29 miles (47 km) wide Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, passing close by Great Missenden to the east, alongside Wendover immediately to the west, then on to Aylesbury. After Aylesbury, the line would run alongside the Aylesbury to Verney Junction line, joining it north of Quainton Road and then striking out to the north-west across open countryside through North Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, South Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Staffordshire. A number of alignments were studied, and in September 2010 HS2 Ltd set out recommendations for altering the course at certain locations.

In December 2010 the Transport Secretary announced several amendments to the line of route aimed at mitigating vibration, noise or visual impact. These changes include, at Primrose Hill, north London, moving the tunnel 100 metres (330 ft) further north, and in west London reducing the width of the "Northolt Corridor". It is proposed to lower the alignment and create a 900 metres (3,000 ft) "green tunnel" in Buckinghamshire at South Heath. At nearby Amersham where two footpaths would also be otherwise severed, at Chipping Warden, Northamptonshire and Burton Green, Warwickshire, "green bridges" would be constructed. Elsewhere, the route alignment would be moved away from the settlements of Brackley, Northamptonshire, Ladbroke and Stoneleigh in Warwickshire and Lichfield in southern Staffordshire, and also from the Grade I listed buildings, Hartwell House and Edgcote House, in Northamptonshire."Changes to the HS2 proposed line of route" (Press release). HS2 Ltd. 20 December 2010.

In January 2012 Justine Greening Secretary of State for Transport announced further revisions to the Phase 1 route. The key revisions included, a new 2.7 miles (4.3 km) tunnel at Northolt avoiding the Chilterns Line and mitigating the impact in the Ruislip area. A realignment of the route and extension of the continuous tunnel, originally from the M25 to Amersham, further on to near Little Missenden. At Wendover and nearby South Heath, extension to the green tunnels to reduce impact on local communities. Additionally, an extension to the green tunnel beside Chipping Warden and Aston Le Walls, and realigning the route to avoid heritage sites around Edgcote. The revised route plan would comprise 22.5 miles (36.2 km) in a tunnel or a green tunnel, compared to 14.5 miles (23.3 km) which it was clarified was a 55% increase in tunnelling compared to that set out for the route in the original consultation. Overall, 79 miles (127 km) of the 140 miles (230 km) route will be in tunnels or cuttings while 40 miles (64 km) will be on viaducts or embankments, a reduction of 10 miles (16 km) from that in the route set out in the original consultation documents.

Heathrow access

While in opposition, the Conservative Party had stated that, if elected to government, it would go forward with a high-speed line connecting London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, with a long-term aim of linking to Scotland, as well as other English cities."Conservative rail review: Getting the best for passengers" (PDF). Conservative Party. Long Term Strategy, section 5.1 High Speed Rail, pp.10-11."Getting the best for rail passengers" (Press release). Conservative Party. 11 February 2009.

Consultants Arup had previously suggested in Heathrow Hub Arup Submission to HS2 that a 200-acre (81 ha) site at Iver, north-east of the intersection of the M25 and M4, could house a railway station of 12 or more platforms, as well as a coach and bus station and an airport terminal. Under this proposal, the high-speed line would then follow a different route to Birmingham, running parallel to existing motorways and railways as with HS1 in Kent.Arup (15 April 2010). "A submission to Lord Mawhinney's Review".Arup's proposal was supported by the Conservatives in their 2009 policy paper, which envisaged connections to cities on the Great Western main line (Bristol and Cardiff) as well as high-speed connections both to the new high-speed line to the north and to the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and continental Europe.

According to Lord Mawhinney's report, the Heathrow station should be directly beneath Heathrow Central station (not at Iver, see Heathrow Hub) and the London terminus for HS2 should be at Old Oak Common, not Euston."High speed rail access to Heathrow: a report by Lord Mawhinney". Department for Transport. 21 July 2010. The "Heathrow Hub" plan was initially supported by the Conservative Party"Shadow Secretary confirms support for Heathrow Hub Plan". ARUP. 26 February 2009. but did not form part of the final consultation plan."Government drops Heathrow Hub option for spur on High Speed 2 route". New Civil Engineer (London). 20 December 2010.

In December 2010 it was announced that a high-speed connection with Heathrow Airport would be built as part of the second phase of the project, and that until then connections would be made at Old Oak Common, where High Speed 2 would have an interchange station with the Heathrow Express and Crossrail.
Phase 2 – West Midlands to Manchester and Leeds
The corridor of the "Y" route extension to Manchester and Leeds from Birmingham currently preferred by the government.

The second phase planned is a "Y" route with separate branches to Manchester and Leeds after Birmingham. The consultation on the route is planned to take place in 2014, and the line is expected to be built by 2033.

The route to the West Midlands will be the first stage of a line to Scotland,and passengers travelling to or from Scotland will be able to use through trains with a saving of 45 minutes from day one. It was recommended by a Parliament select committee on HS2 in November 2011 that a statutory clause should be in the bill that will guarantee HS2 being constructed beyond Birmingham so that the economic benefits are spread further.

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High Speed 2 (HS2)

 High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway between London and the Midlands, Northern England, and potentially at a later stage the central belt of Scotland. The project is being developed by High Speed Two Ltd, a company established by the British government. The route would take the form of a "Y", with a trunk from London to Birmingham. The route would then split into two spurs, one to Manchester, and the other to Leeds via the East Midlands. The line is to be built in phases, the London to Birmingham section being the first phase. There will be no intermediate calling points between London and the West Midlands.

High-speed rail is supported in principle by the three main UK political parties; there is, however, debate about which cities should be served, and on the environmental performance and impact of high-speed rail.

The Conservative–Liberal Democrat coalition government formed in May 2010 stated in its initial programme for government its commitment to creating a high-speed rail network. In January 2012 the construction of phase 1 between London and Birmingham was approved with an indicated opening date of 2026.

High Speed Two Limited

In January 2009, the then Labour government established a company, High Speed Two Limited (HS2 Ltd), chaired by Sir David Rowlands, to examine the case for a new British high-speed line and present a potential route between London and the West Midlands. The government report suggested that ultimately the line could be extended to reach Scotland.

Drawing on consultations carried out for the Department for Transport (DfT) and Network Rail, HS2 Ltd would provide advice on options for a Heathrow International interchange station, access to central London, connectivity with HS1 and the existing rail network, and financing and construction,and report to government on the first stage by the end of 2009.

In August 2009, Network Rail published its own study independently of HS2's work, outlining somewhat different proposals for the expansion of the railway network which included a new high-speed rail line between London and Glasgow/Edinburgh, following a route through the West Midlands and the North-West of England.

For the HS2 report, a route was investigated to an accuracy of 0.5 metres (18 in). In December 2009, HS2 handed its report to the government. The study investigated the possibility of links to Heathrow Airport and connections with Crossrail, the Great Western Main Line, and the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (HS1).

On 11 March 2010, the High Speed 2 report and supporting studies were published, together with the government's command paper on high-speed rail

Public consultation

On 20 December 2010 the government published a slightly revised line of route to be put out for public consultation, based on a Y-shaped route from London to Birmingham with branches to Leeds and Manchester, as originally put forward by Lord Adonis as Secretary of State for Transport under the previous government, with a number of alterations designed to minimise the visual, noise, and other environmental impacts of the line.[26] In a statement to Parliament, the Secretary of State confirmed that the first phase of construction would include a high-speed line from London to Birmingham as well as a connection to High Speed 1. High-speed lines north of the West Midlands would be built in later stages, and a link to Heathrow Airport would be initially provided by means of a connection at Old Oak Common, with a high-speed link to the airport to be added later. The high-speed line would connect to the existing network, allowing through trains from London to northern destinations. The consultation documents were published on 11 February 2011 and the consultation period was set to run until July 2011. In January 2012 the go-ahead was given for phase one of the line to be constructed by 2026, with additional tunnelling to meet environmental concerns.

Legal challenges

At the end of March 2012 the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) announced that it had submitted a complaint to the European Commission that the UK government, in failing to carry out a strategic environmental assessment ahead of deciding on the route of Phase I of HS2, was in breach of European Union legislation. BBOWT said that the complaint would only be considered by the EU Commission after the UK Courts had concluded consideration of various judicial reviews submitted to them.

In April 2012 five requests for judicial reviews were submitted to the UK Courts. Two by HS2 Action Alliance (HS2AA) and one each by the 51m Group, Aylesbury Park Golf Club, and Heathrow Hub Ltd. In two separate judicial review applications the HS2AA claimed that the UK government failed to carry out a proper strategic environmental assessment and that it provided inadequate information to the public during the public consultation. As a consequence the HS2AA claimed that the Secretary of State's decision to approve Phase I of HS2 was made without proper justification, that it ignored the Government's own processes and assessment criteria, and relied on undisclosed material. In a separate judicial review request the 51m Group challenged the UK government on several grounds. Firstly, that it failed to consult properly on the original or the revised route. Secondly, that it failed to consider the impact of HS2 on the London Underground network. Thirdly, that it did not take proper account of the environmental impact on the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a number of important wildlife habitats, and finally that the hybrid bill approach was 'incompatible with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive. Aylesbury Park Golf Club's proceedings are based on the impact of the proposed route which will pass through part of the club. Heathrow Hub Ltd, a company owned by ARUP, announced it has also started proceedings on the grounds that the UK Government could choose an alternative route which would provide an improved connection between HS2 and Crossrail via a transport hub built on land owned by the company.

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HS2 blighted villagers to become film stars

The environment is becoming a new source of potential tension within the Coalition and within the Conservative Party. David Cameron and the Liberal Democrats have tended to emphasise climate change as central to their green agenda while local Tory councils and Tory supporters have been more focused on local and micro-environmentalism. This has meant Tory councils have often led the agenda on recycling and energy conservation, for example*, but have either opposed or been reluctant supporters of action on climate change if it means the installation of wind farms.

Perhaps the biggest clash between the two green worldviews will come over HS2. The PM and his Coalition partners see high-speed rail as an essential way of reducing demand for short haul air travel but Tory voters across much of England see the planned railway as devastating for the beauty of the countryside. Sources tell me that the Treasury is sounding ever louder warnings within Whitehall about the escalating estimated costs of the project. There is a lot of sympathy for the view put forward in the Alternative Queen's Speech that we should forget HS2 and upgrade existing rail infrastructure and get a cheaper, quicker hit.
George Osborne has been leading the counter-attack against the climate change agenda since last autumn. His former Chief of Staff Matt Hancock MP is writing a paper on energy bills in another sign of what is preoccupying Team Osborne. Yesterday's Observer reported that the Chancellor wanted a 25% cut in the subsidies that the renewable energy industry needs. He is unlikely to get the policy changes he seeks because Ed Davey and other Liberal Democrats regard policy on climate change as non-negotiable. Mr Osborne's interventions may, nonetheless, have an impact. The IPPR think tank warns today, for example, that the way in which ministers are blowing hot and cold over energy policy is discouraging companies from investing in green technologies. Another impact of the Chancellor's muscular approach may be to encourage Tory councils to introduce presumptions in their planning guidance against windfarms. This is what Lincolnshire County Council is now doing.

The film has been made by Philip Krstic and Richard Forrest, two final year students in media production from Lincoln University, and shows how the village is more affected than anywhere along the HS2 line and deserves special treatment in the form of a deep bore tunnel, 7km in length, extending into Berkswell.

It will be shown to invited guests at a red carpet premier at Burton Green village hall on Friday June 22 and will then be reproduced so politicians and other members of the public can see it.

Archie Taylor, chairman of Burton Green parish council, said: “We came across Philip and Richard when they were filming in Burton Green. For their final assignment, they were doing a study of HS2 in our area and I saw the film which they produced and it was outstanding. Because of this I asked them to do a film on Burton Green to celebrate the village and show how HS2 threatens its very existence.”

Cllr Taylor helped direct the film and a number of other people were also involved especially Mary Webb and Rona Taylor who finalised the script.

Mr Forrest said: “My experience filming with the residents of Burton Green made me understand the importance and impact that a community can have during a time of crisis.

“The powerful words we captured on film really shows the whole community are pulling together and all have the same goal. I met some extraordinary people during filming and wish the community the best of luck with their ongoing campaign.”

Mr Krstic added: “Before I embarked on making the documentary, I went in with an open mind and not knowing an awful lot about the train line. Having met campaigners who are both directly and indirectly affected by the line, it has become clear that the destruction and devastation it will cause to so many people is by no means justified.

“As a community, Burton Green has a very strong leg to stand on with regards to fighting its case. I wish them all the luck in the world with their fight for mitigation and to save their community.

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Baroness Warsi plays a valuable role in British relations with Pakistan

Senior allies of Baroness Warsi last night hit back at allegations that she misused her position as Conservative Party Chairman to take foreign trips at taxpayers' expense.

Reports yesterday highlighted the fact that Lady Warsi had taken 17 foreign visits in the past two years – despite her role being to foster relations with Tories in Britain.

But The Independent has been told that the visits – which have included Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia – were explicitly authorised by David Cameron and the Foreign Secretary, William Hague.

Sources said they included sensitive negotiations to find a "second route" out of Afghanistan after the Pakistanis vetoed plans to let the UK move its heavy military equipment through the country.

Lady Warsi, they said, had also been tasked to maintain channels of communication with Islamabad at a time of heightened tensions with the West. It is understood she has visited Pakistan at least five times since being appointed a minister.

Senior Government sources said the trips by Britain's first Muslim Cabinet minister have not been publicised because of security concerns and because some are diplomatically and politically sensitive. "The idea that somehow Warsi has been travelling the world for fun at the taxpayer expense is simply rubbish," said a senior Conservative. "Part of her job when appointed was to be a Government envoy to that part of the world. Everything is signed off by William and the PM, and to suggest otherwise is just nonsense.

Yet in Pakistan, she remains a heroine. In a country where political power is inherited, sequestered within a tiny ruling elite, she is a reminder that there is a different future possible for millions of poor Pakistanis.

Her strength is her connection to ordinary people, in particular those areas of the Punjab and Kashmir where hundreds of thousands left for a better life in the UK, just like her father who famously arrived with just a few pounds in his pocket. So when she travelled to her father's hometown of Bewal in 2010 to be feted by drummers and showered with rose petals, she arrived with her parents, friends and hangers-on, many of whom had grown up in rural Punjab and who retained close links to the area.

Personal connections are the key to getting business done in this part of the world and Baroness Warsi's informal networks are a priceless addition to the Foreign Office suits – predominantly still white, male and privately educated – who rotate in and out of Pakistan every couple of years or less. (I'm told the FCO struggles to recruit Urdu-speaking British Pakistanis for the role, as they fail to get security clearance.)

It is Baroness Warsi's informal links that give her an "in" to Pakistan's political life.

But those are the risks too. She has already been in trouble for taking her British-funded car and security team for a family wedding on one trip. And now she is under scrutiny for her relationship to Abid Hussain, her business partner. He has travelled to the country with her more than once. In 2010, wary Foreign Office officials made sure he – and other friends and relatives – were kept at arms' length. Although he spoke at rallies, he travelled separately from the official delegation without British protection staff.

It may be a slightly unorthodox way of doing things, but it is the right way to do business in Pakistan where personal connections matter more than policy or protocol. Her visits have been accompanied by reams of glowing press coverage, unlike David Cameron's gaffe-prone trips to the region, first insulting Pakistan during a visit to India and then bizarrely apologising for the conflict in Kashmir a year later in Pakistan, kicking off another political storm.

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Diamond Jubilee: criticism grows of BBC's 'lamentable' coverage

 It was the BBC’s reputation as a peerless television broadcaster of royal events. It just could not survive under an onslaught of inanity, idiocy and full cream sycophancy uttered, muttered and buttered on thickly by a team of presenters who were encouraged to think that they were more important than the events unfolding around them.

Someone, somewhere thought that their celebrity personalities were enough to see them through this all-day broadcast. How very wrong they were.

‘I’ve just spotted my 70-year-old dad out there,’ gurgled Sophie Raworth, as barges packed with senior royals and VIPs slid by, unremarked upon. Who was in all the other boats? We never did find out.

Yes, the BBC1 coverage of the Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant was historical — historically awful.

Time and time again, their cameras cut away from the magnificent river sights — never seen before, never to be seen again — to watch Tess Daly, with a pineapple fascinator on her head, jiving in a park. Or Anneka Rice wittering on about art.

Despite the poor coverage those who turned out for event enjoyed the day in spite of torrential downpours.

The Queen smiled on through the cold and wet, resisting the joint temptations of an indoor berth and a hot cup of tea to wave non-stop from the windswept deck of the royal barge from start to finish of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

“It was absolutely worth waiting for,” said a shivering Joanne Revitt, 48, who watched the procession from the Embankment near the tower of Big Ben (or the Queen Elizabeth Tower, as MPs want to rename it).

“The Queen looked stunning and I am quite convinced she waved at me as she went past,” she added.

Countless thousands of others no doubt went home with the same belief, and they would have gone home happy as a result.

It was, the Duke of Cambridge told one guest, a “very emotional” day for his grandmother and at times it showed as she seemed slightly overwhelmed by the scale of the public’s response.

The BBC defended its coverage. A spokesman said: "We're very proud of the quality and breadth of the BBC's coverage of this extraordinary event."

But those watching at home were less than complimentary.

One posted: "BBC's coverage of the jubilee is awful! Bad camera angles and bad presenting. Sky much better."

Another said: "Are the BBC trying to be quaint and 'British' with their p*** awful coverage?"

Another damning posting from the politician read: "Which is worse, the heavy rain falling on the flotilla along the Thames or the BBC's dreadful coverage of this Royal Jubilee event?"

Austin Mitchell, Labour MP for Great Grimsby, summed up the coverage in similarly disparaging terms.

"One hated Thames Armada. No Navy left so hordes of tatty boats. Queen freezing, BBC 5Live and TV commentary pathetic. A disgrace," he

An estimated 1.2million people, a bigger turnout than for last year’s royal wedding, lined 14 miles of riverbank, turning it into an unbroken chain of red, white and blue.

For the artists on the Millennium Bridge who had been invited to paint the 21st century’s “Canaletto Moment”, however, the colour palette was overwhelmingly grey.

No one would have blamed the Queen if she had turned out in oilskins, but instead she wowed the crowds in an ivory coloured bouclé dress and coat, braided with silk ribbon and with a silk organza frill, which included a clever nod to her three big jubilees.

Made by the Queen’s dresser Angela Kelly, it was embroidered with gold and silver spots and embellished with crystals to represent diamonds. Was it coincidence that it seemed to borrow from the Ditchley portrait of Elizabeth I wearing a similarly opulent spotted dress?

The day had begun with six million people around the country attending 10,000 street parties from Devon to Dumfriesshire, almost all of which had gone ahead despite the weather. The one notable exception was Downing Street, where David and Samantha Cameron decided to move their party indoors to escape a drenching.

At 2.10pm, as the trifles and chocolate fingers were being polished off around the country (triggering a mass retreat to the comfort of a dry sofa and a television set), the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh made their entrance. Waiting for them at Chelsea Pier were the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, together with an honour guard of 22 Chelsea Pensioners.

Over her wrist, the Queen had brought what at first glance appeared to be a small towel (which would have been sensible enough) but later proved to be a shawl — her only concession to the drizzle — which she reluctantly deployed an hour later when even her stoicism began to be tested.

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