English term
St John's Ambulance
Her Majesty requests the plasure of my presence at the Royal Garden Party.
Janet:
Oh, St John's Ambulance busy, then?
Piers:
No, the Queen invited me. And seeing as the Royal Physician passed away quite recently, I don't tkink it's jumping into conclusions to think...
"My Hero"
5 +12 | St. John's Ambulance fields a group of volunteers at events such as Royal Garden Parties | awilliams |
5 +3 | additional information... | John Bowden |
5 +1 | It's the St John's Ambulance brigade | Anna Maria Augustine (X) |
PRO (3): Robert Donahue (X), sarahl (X), RHELLER
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Responses
St. John's Ambulance fields a group of volunteers at events such as Royal Garden Parties
In other words, Janet is suggesting that Piers didn't actually get invited to the party but was going as a SJA volunteer, which is not as "prestigious" a way to get into a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
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Note added at 17 mins (2005-04-25 22:18:30 GMT)
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By saying \"St. John\'s Ambulance busy, then?\" Janet is humouring Piers by suggesting that St. John\'s Ambulance need to field a lot of volunteers at the party so they must have recruited him and that must be why he is going, as a volunteer.
A tough one to explain!
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Note added at 26 mins (2005-04-25 22:27:50 GMT)
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Piers:
Her Majesty requests the pleasure of my presence at the Royal Garden Party.
Janet:
[Piers - invited by the Queen to a Royal Garden Party? Never!! The only way he\'d get into one of those parties would be as a St. John\'s Ambulance volunteer...!] Oh, St John\'s Ambulance busy, then?
Piers:
No, the Queen invited me.
That\'s the idea. The whole \"Garden Party\" thing has a real air of secrecy about it - members of the public get invited for specific reasons etc. St. John\'s Ambulance volunteers are always in the background at events, working behind the scenes.
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Note added at 36 mins (2005-04-25 22:37:44 GMT)
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Another option cmwilliams and sarahl have suggested is that Piers was asked to go because St. John\'s Ambulance was busy and was booked elsewhere. I didn\'t see it that way at first but that would be another possible interpretation.
agree |
Anna Maria Augustine (X)
1 min
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thanks - a tough one to explain!
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agree |
cmwilliams (X)
: Yes, Janet is being sarcastic. The way I understand it, she's implying that the Queen asked him because St John's ambulance was busy and couldn't attend. He says 'No' when she asks if it was busy.
3 mins
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cheers
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agree |
Lietta Warren-Granato
: so Janet means that Piers has not beeen invited as a real guest, but to work there
12 mins
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agree |
sarahl (X)
: either that or they couldn't get SJA and he's the next best choice.
19 mins
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yes - I didn't see it that way at first but it could mean that as well. Cheers.
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agree |
Charlie Bavington
: that CMW's and sarahl's interpretations are bang on (and that your original suggestion that Piers was going as a SJA volunteer was not what it meant)
59 mins
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cheers Charlie, you're right.
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agree |
Robert Donahue (X)
: This obviously required some cultural context : )
2 hrs
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agree |
Alp Berker
3 hrs
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agree |
Ian Burley (X)
10 hrs
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agree |
Aisha Maniar
10 hrs
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agree |
giogi
11 hrs
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agree |
Java Cafe
15 hrs
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agree |
Alfa Trans (X)
4 days
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It's the St John's Ambulance brigade
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Note added at 9 mins (2005-04-25 22:10:12 GMT)
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Is Piers a doctor maybe, and Janet is asking if St John\'s ambulance is busy. A doctor\'s presence might be required at the garden party (the royal physician passed away...).
Seems a little sarcastic.
additional information...
HTH
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Note added at 2005-04-25 23:02:08 (GMT) [[iso-8859-1]]
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*opinionated*!!
Also, note that Piers is half expecting to be appointed the next Royal Physician...
agree |
Charlie Bavington
: your extra note is a point well worth making.
12 mins
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Thanks - I wish my jobs were as interesting as limonka's always are!
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agree |
sarahl (X)
: nothing like insider info -you sound like a fan! ;-)
2 hrs
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Yes, I am - childish, idiotic but witty at the same time (the programme, not me...but come to think of it...)
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agree |
Sarah Swift
12 hrs
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Discussion