Poignant royal memories have flooded back for blues singer Victor Brox following the passing of the Queen.
Victor, 81, a singer songwriter from Droylsden, whose legendary singing career we featured in the Reporter earlier this year, had penned a poem to Her Majesty last year.
It was based on his memories of seeing the Queen aboard the Royal Train as she visited Manchester when he was a young Ashton schoolboy.
He sent the poem off to the Queen last year to wish her well in advance of her Platinum Jubilee year this year and had received a reply from the Palace, acknowledging his good wishes and thanking him for the poem.
Victor’s poem is below...
Railway Lines
I gazed into my monarch’s eyes,
Elizabeth looked in mine,
But she was still a princess then,
And I was only five.
She waved to me and I waved back,
Then the Royal Train was gone.
Later I told my mum who said:
“Of course she did, my son.”
I keep these memories in the book,
I hold behind my heart.
Occasionally I take them out
And give myself a start.
She’s grown to 95 by now,
And suffers with the strain.
But I recall those shining eyes,
That trapped me from the train.

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