Chapter 17

Maude led her to the PMs’ office suite, where they had to wait a few minutes until another Minister came out and his voice called them in. He stood and shook Willows’ hand.

“Well done, Saturday. I’m told that your delivery of all those bare facts made them sound like a story, with a Q and A thrown in. Older members would never dare to step outside what was given to them.”

“I considered the sheet as a suggestion, sir. It seemed to go down well.”

“Very well. There are many on the front bench who have called me after the papers came out, to tell me how well it was all received. The editorials were good, as well. The Times said that it would pay us to allow you to make all the big announcements.”

“Way over my pay scale, sir.”

“Now, tell me about today.”

“The Proms guys have agreed to trial the children’s session next year, with an orchestra playing the classics from ‘Fantasia’, with the scenes unfolding behind them. Everything else is on hold until we all see how that’s received.”

“Good, you kicked it down the road. Well done!”

“The visit with the royals was a bit different.”

“Don’t tell me that they want an evening of stand-up comedy, interspersed with modern dance.”

“Worse. They all loved that DVD of the last big charity show I did, with the extra stars. It was called ‘VivWillow and Friends’.”

“I know it well. I’ve watched it more than once; it was a wonderful show.”

“The King says that it lifts his spirits, and it’s been suggested as the base of the Variety Performance. They want me to reprise the bands that I’ve played in.”

“There will be other acts, I hope.”

“We discussed a few, and I have a list. Beyond that, they left it to us to fill out the show.”

“I suppose that most of the acts are in your stable?”

“Correct.”

“That was quite a while ago.”

“I’ve been thinking about that. It was my last year at school. Dad was elected that year, so, we’re talking ten years. Time for a lot of people to forget it.”

“All the more reason to do as they want. We can help as much as we can, but you’ll have to fit it all in with your other duties. Where will you rehearse?”

“We’ll want to keep it contained, so I thought that I would use the studio in Watford. It’s big enough to fit everyone in when we record it as a single take and get the true timing.”

“That sounds like a plan. You look serious?”

“The King said that when we record the whole thing, he wants to be there, probably with the whole family. I expect that it would be a novelty for them to see it happening.”

“That will take some planning. Is it a secure site?”

“Very secure. Peter, on my detail, has checked it out last week. If we take the cast there in coaches, and leave them, it will look as if nobody’s there. If the family turn up in a couple of Range Rovers, the car park would look pretty normal. We don’t lock the door, normally, but there is a camera that shows anyone outside. The security can set up a remote perimeter at the entrance to the industrial park.”

“All right! It looks as if our new Under Secretary will be on stage in November. Follow it through. I’ll follow up when I have my next audience. Back to work!”

Maude and Willow went back to the office. On the way, Maude stopped in a quiet corner.

“For a new member, Willow, you’re ticking all the boxes quickly. How many did you see, this morning?”

“The King and his two eldest. The Queen joined us for tea and cake. It was very friendly, especially when I signed every CD and DVD they had in their collection.”

They were giggling as they carried on. In her office, Willow sat at her desk.

“How are you going, Marian?”

“I’ve caught up with the letters for the media guys, and the one for the Proms people, if you want to get Maude to sign them. We have an appointment on Wednesday, with some people from the FA, which Janice has passed to us to get to visit them at their offices at Wembley Stadium. The season is about to start, and she thought that they may want us to pencil in our attendance at particular matches.”

“Hold on a moment, I’ll just pop next door.”

Willow knocked and went into Maudes’ office.

“Maude, Janice has given Marian the appointment with the FA. Are there any particular matches that you want to attend?”

“Put me in for the Cup Final. My husband enjoys that one. And tell them any big final that’s held in London. I’ll be an addition, as you’ll be there as well. Make sure that they know it will be me and hubby, you and Garry, and Marian and Ken. If it’s a match where royalty will be in attendance, the PM will want ten seats for his party.”

“Will do, thanks for that.”

She went back and sat down.

“Make a note. Ordinary matches where they want a representative will be you, me and our better halves. Better matches where the Minister will be required are us and her with her husband. If there’s to be royalty on hand, it’s the above plus ten seats for the PM and his party. Anything else, we’ll take on board and get back to them. What else do we have?”

“There’s an appointment on Friday with a reporter and cameraman from Tatler. I can’t say that I’ve ever read one, but they are purported to be a level above Vogue and read by the filthy rich.”

“You forget that I’m supposed to be one of those, Marian, although the magazine is not one I’ve bothered with.”

“Sorry, Willow, I forgot.”

“So do I, most of the time. We’re mixing in different circles now, so need to up our thinking to suit. In the future, we can’t be caught making that sort of ‘us and them’ assumptions. I’m not having a go at you, because it’s a good thing to catch it early. We’re all pals in the office, but outside this building Maude is a Dame and a minister, one step above us, so we have to act correctly. We’ll be meeting a lot of very important, and rich, people, so we must stay on our guard. What else do we have?”

“The following Friday is an appointment with the Variety Performance people.”

“Hopefully, the cat will be out of the bag by then. We’ll sort out those letters tomorrow, and I’ll start putting together a show, and then start making calls. Start on the other things on the list Janice gave you, and I’ll start exercising my little grey cells.”

Willow took a sheet of A4 and started making a list of acts, referring to the one she had got from Sue. She picked up her phone and rang Red Wolf, getting through to Sue.

“Sue, it’s Willow. Can you and Helen meet me in my apartment tomorrow morning, please? Tell her to bring her laptop.”

She gave the address.

“I can, boss, what time?”

“Make it at ten. We have something we need to talk about.”

“Is it to do with that list I gave you?”

“It is but keep very quiet about it until I tell you to start organising. We should be able to get others involved next week. Make sure you read the Monday paper; you’ll know it when you see it. Get an Uber as the parking is limited.”

“See you then.”

Willow stood and went into see Janice.

“Janice, Marian and I will get in after lunch tomorrow. Call her on the official phone if we’re needed. We’ll be doing initial planning for the Variety show. Do you have a list of contacts from the last one?”

“Let me look.”

Janice went to her filing cabinet and pulled out a thick file.

“This is the last five years. Copy what you need and give it back. I’ll need copies of all the paperwork to start another file for this year, with you keeping the originals.”

“Thanks, Janice. We’ll be in early in the afternoon.”

She took the file into her office.

“This goes home with us, today. We’ll have a look at it and copy the latest papers we need. It will have the contacts we need for the show.”

“At this rate, I’ll need a bigger bag.”

“Organise one, if you want, I’ll put it on the official card.”

Marian called down for their car and they went back to the apartment, where they spent the rest of the afternoon quietly working through the thick file and extracting the information that they needed, using the printer/scanner to copy the pages to be kept. When she put the file back in her bag, Marian turned to Willow.

“In the past years, they had a full team to produce that show, including an artistic director.”

“This year he’ll be listed but will be taking his leads from me. This will be almost a show that I did, ten years ago, and I know pretty well all the bands and singers that’s going to be there. I also know what songs go well, following others, having sung them.”

“So, the meeting with them, next week, is likely to get heated?”

“I don’t get heated, Marian. I keep my cool and maintain the even temper for which I’m famous.”

She grinned.

“But now, let’s go down to the restaurant. Garry said that he would be back for dinner.”

They sat with drinks until Garry came in, followed by their four neighbours. They had a quiet dinner, with Willow deflecting any queries about her day. That evening, in bed, she told Garry the details.

“So, my love, it looks as if we’ll be on stage once more. Before you ask, it will definitely be the last time. A ‘Willow Retrospective’ will be a good way to really draw the line. It’s only been less than a week, but this government work is starting to get under my skin.”

”You will have some of ‘Summer Rose’ if you have ‘Third Rating’ there.”

“It’s pretty much ‘Garreth’ as well, we just need a drummer.”

“You will have Brent.”

“If we get Geoff, then Zara will be around. If we get Vivienne, we can do the duet that they did from Phantom. It will take a lot of thought to progress the show, from one era to another. If we have ‘Third Rating’ doing their thing, they could call me up and we could do some from the Rose era. I’m thinking of having Howard and the Blue Notes as the main band, so we can then let the boys leave the stage and I could call on Viv to recreate some of our collaboration period, then she can call on Zara, do the duet and then Zara sings a few songs with the orchestra behind them.”

“How are you going to open?”

“I was thinking of that Californian band that you’ve met, “Blank Slate’, as an opening. Then we can have Howard playing for his ballet or ENO friends. They can work on a new piece for that. The Princess is interested in dance.”

“Who will you get to compere?”

“I was thinking of just having a voice to welcome everyone, and then have the stars announce the next act as they thank the audience. It will have to close with ‘Cauldron’, and we could write something new for them that will allow everyone on the stage to sing the final song.”

“I can see it, already. What about the existing organisers?”

“Already discussed with Marian. We will be meeting them next week, but the King is talking to them on Friday, and has spoken about insisting that the family want to see a partial recreation of the ‘VivWillow and Friends’ concert. When we do see them, they’ll be primed. You never know, someone may leak it to the press.”

“So, What now.”

“First, my love, hold me tight. Tomorrow, Sue and Helen will be here at ten. You can sit in on that if you want, seeing that you’re likely to be on stage, and can be the link between me, as the Under Secretary, and Red Wolf. We do have three months to get it all under control, so can fine tune on the run.”

Next morning, when Sue rang to say that they were outside, Garry went down to guide them up to the apartment. The four sat at the kitchen table, with Marian sitting on the sofa with her notebook. Sue looked around.

“Nice place you have here.”

“It’s handy, as well. Marian is staying upstairs in the suite above. My parents use Number Three when they’re in town. The restaurant is a tenant, and we eat there a lot. Now, we have some serious things to talk about. Helen, you wouldn’t know this, yet, but my current job includes organising the Royal Variety Performance, in November. Marian and I met with the King, yesterday, and he made the request that it should have some of the old ‘VivWillow and Friends’ concert recreated.”

“That was years ago, Willow.”

“About ten, Helen. The thing is, most of that concert are still around, and on our books. Howard and the Blue Note Orchestra is pretty much as it was. Lee and Cliff are still working. Vivienne and Zara are still with us. The main ones that will be missing are Ken Stroll and the Rocks.”

“You will have plans, already, knowing you.”

“I have. In order, we open with ‘Blank Slate’, direct from the USA. They’ve toured here and have been in the charts. Then we can have a comedian, followed by something with the orchestra. They’ve done a lot of work with the ENO, a ballet and modern dance group. We can get Howard to introduce Cliff. I’m thinking of giving Gina a call to see if she can spare a week or two to play something classical.”

“Already sounds good, Willow.”

“After that, if ‘Third Rating’ assemble in the dark, she can say something about the old band, and join me and the band to play some of the early numbers. After that, the two of us will leave the stage and they do their own songs. Geoff can then introduce Zara, and she can come on to sing with the orchestra. She can then introduce Vivienne and do the Phantom duet. Then Viv can reintroduce me, now at the piano, and we can do some of the VivWillow numbers.”

“That’s sounding great. What then?”

“If ‘Third Rating’ reassemble, but with Garry on bass, I could stay as Viv leaves the stage and talk about joining Rocks and then mention ‘Garreth’, starting in on the best song, at the piano, as the lights come up on the rest of the band with Zara out front.”

“You’ve really been thinking about it.”

“After that, we can go back with the orchestra, and I’ll disappear while Garry introduces Lee. When he’s doing his last song, he can move off to one side to leave the centre dark, to allow ‘Cauldron’ to get ready. He’ll introduce them. My plan is to write a new song for them which will be all about hope for peace and harmony in the following decade, where everyone can come back on stage, adding our voices, and bringing it to an end.”

They sat and discussed it with more detail, Garry and Willow suggesting some titles with the others adding some of their favourites. Marian kept track of the suggestions. At a moment of silence, she asked.

“What about the others on the royal list?”

“We’ll time these, and then see what we have to slide a couple into the line-up. The thing is, Marian, that we now have a base that we can work with, adding any extras as needed, and finding out if there are any that we can’t get. Helen, you have the spreadsheet. Who will be free on the twelfth of November?”

“At the moment, Willow, all I have on that date is one tour being planned for ‘Blank Slate’, which means that they’ll be in the country. If we add them to this, we’ll just have to shift subsequent dates by a week. ‘Cauldron’ will have finished a European tour, and the orchestra have their usual gig with the ENO, unless they agree to miss a night. You could add them into the mix, maybe with Viv singing those two songs from ‘Laptop’.”

“She could do that after her bit with me.”

They talked some more and then went down for lunch, after which, Sue and Helen went back to Red Wolf, while Willow and Marian got ready to be picked up. In the office, they gave to letters to Maude to authorise and sign, and Marian researched the dates of any big football match, from the published list of the season. Willow rang the Innocenti residence, speaking to Guiseppe.

“It’s Willow, Guiseppe. Can I speak to Gina, please?”

“I’ll get her, Willow.”

When Gina came to the phone, they exchange pleasantries.

“I hear that you were elected, Willow.”

“I was, friend. I’m calling you from the office of the Minister of Culture.”

“Wow. Are you the Minister?”

“No, but I’m working with her. One of the things on our list is the Royal Variety Performance. How would you like to be on stage in front of the royal family?”

“That will be interesting. What’s the date and the orchestra?”

“November twelfth, and Howard with the Blue Notes, mainly the orchestra we had on stage from school.”

“I’ll check with my management and get back to you. You would need me a couple of weeks before to rehearse. Anything else?”

“They want us to recreate some of the last charity show I was in, after you had left, and I’m thinking that we could do a few of the old songs. We’ll have ‘Third Rating’, which has Geoff, Brent, Victor, and Roy in it, so most of the old front line. With you and me, we have Summer Rose. Garry and I will join them to do ‘Garreth’ numbers.”

“That could be fun. Not thinking about going back on stage, are we?”

“No. As far as I’m concerned, this will draw the line under the career of Willow Rose. I’ve only been in the job a week and I’m already thinking long-term.”

“You’ve always thought long-term, friend. I’ll let you know if I’m available, and you can send my management an official invitation.”

“Will do, friend. I hope to see you then.”

Late that afternoon, Sue rang Marian to tell her that Lee was out of the picture, scheduled for a prostate operation, not surprising, seeing that he was now nearly seventy. Sue said that she would be calling the management of some of the others on the list to see if they were available for two weeks from the beginning of November.

Wednesday, they had the visit to Wembley, with Peter back with them. It was quite friendly, and they came away with a list of fixtures that would require some official attendance at that ground only. They were forewarned that some clubs may request them, but it would only be at their home grounds.

The rest of the week was a little fine tuning the show, catching up on paperwork, talking to the reporter from Tatler, who wanted pictures of Willow at her desk, standing beside Maude, and she was asked to attend their photographic studio on Saturday for a photo shoot, with the clothing supplied by a very expensive fashion house.

Ken came up on Friday afternoon, with Angie, and took Marian back to Brighton after dinner. Monday, there was a party room meeting to discuss policies and likely business for the first sitting on the following Monday, which would be the full ceremony, with the King and Queen on the ceremonial thrones, with the official reading of the Government intentions. Outside business would all have to take place out of sitting hours while the House was working.

The Monday papers had someone from the charity leaking the news that the possible Variety Performance would be featuring Willow Rose, and launching a write-in competition to suggest the songs that she may sing, with the winner being picked by the papers’ music critic. Willow had to laugh at that, as it made her job a lot easier.

On Thursday, Gina got back to her to say that her management was happy to have her in London during that period and would be organising her transport. Willow said that she would be booking rooms at the Dorchester.

On Friday, when they met with the charity people, she didn’t have to push to direct the show. They asked her if she would appear, and if she did, what parts of her singing career would she be able to perform. Marian could hardly stop smiling as they were being driven back to the office.

“That artistic director! The look on his face when you asked him to be listed but to follow what you organised. That was priceless!”

“I think that he’ll enjoy the kudos, but the thing is that those guys know the place like the back of their hand. When we call for a section of the stage to be dark, then it will be dark. I don’t have that knowledge and I’m happy if someone else can make things happen. It was nice of them to invite us to a dinner meeting in two weeks. That way, we’ll have a better idea of who we can get. The director will need to be at Watford when we record, so he can explain the lighting of the scenes that we can’t do in the studio.”

Back in the office, Maude called the team in to talk.

“Now, you two, how was the meeting?”

Marian was smiling.

“It was wonderful, Maude. They were polite, diplomatic and were almost grovelling as they asked Willow if she could come out of retirement, one last time.”

“I hope that you kept your cool, Willow.”

“I did, Maude. I acted surprised and admitted that the thing in the newspaper was a bit of a shock. We had a preliminary discussion where I told them of the other members of the old bands still playing. We have a dinner discussion with them, Saturday fortnight, to work on the show content. I was asked to contact the others and come back with a definite list.”

“Which you already have, I expect.”

“About ninety percent, Maude. Some are still to confirm availability, but we already have a few definite apologies. They had a similar list to the one my office generated, so we were all on the same page.”

“That’s all good. Now, next week we’re sitting, so you’ll need to be here for the duration. Some days go into the early hours, and we will want to show that our party is able to do the work. There will be a sheaf of papers delivered to us this afternoon. It will be the items that our side want to talk about, as well as the questions on notice that the other side will be asking. We’ll need to check to have our answers ready.”

There were four copies of the papers delivered that afternoon, and Maude called it a day, and to be on deck Monday, very early, to be kitted out in the ceremonial dress. That evening, and through the weekend, Willow read the papers and researched answers to questions that were aimed at her minister. Marian went home on the train, with her sheaf, coming back Sunday evening.

The following week led Willow and Marian into the world of real politics, the cut and thrust in the House, the lies and innuendoes hurled across the floor, the schoolchild banter that she had seen when visiting with her father. This time, she was there, as part of the Government, and the target of those who thought that she was easy pickings, just the daughter of a Minister.

What the opposition found, however, was that their target was a match for their attack dogs, an educated and eloquent orator with a deep knowledge of the subjects they tried to trip her up with. Many sitting days ended with Maude hosting the team for drinks of congratulation.

Marianne Gregory © 2025