My badges have a way of starting conversations.
I went to one of my social clubs for lunch and met a rather special gentleman, a man of great intellect, curiosity and a remarkable eye for detail.
He noticed the little badge on my jacket, and that was enough to start a conversation.
It was my Primrose League badge, a small piece of British political and social history.
The story takes us back to Queen Victoria and her close relationship with Benjamin Disraeli, one of her favourite Prime Ministers. The Queen admired him greatly, and they developed an unusual friendship built on mutual respect and affection.
When Disraeli died in 1881, Queen Victoria sent a wreath of primroses to his funeral, a flower closely associated with him. Two years later, in 1883, the Primrose League was founded in his memory, bringing together politics, social life and British traditions.
My badge carries a design registration associated with 1886, making it a small reminder of Victorian Britain, although the exact age of the badge itself remains uncertain.
And there we were, more than a century later, discussing Queen Victoria, Disraeli, political history and a little flower over lunch.
That is precisely why I enjoy wearing these small pieces of history.
Sometimes, all it takes to start a good conversation is a badge on your jacket.
