We saw the Queen!!!!

On 28th October 2010 we were privileged to experience a Royal visit in our small and picturesque market town of Maldon in Essex.  This time it wasn't a rampaging Iceni queen, but Her Maj Queen Liz 2.  She was actually far from rampaging, for that matter, as the old dear is 84 now, but nonetheless she was doing very well indeed.

(Not too many people there yet)

In order to get a good view of her Majesty, myself, the kids and the mother-in-law were installed in the Tesco car park nice and early and trotting up Market Hill before 9am.  As it turned out we were in good time - the only other folks on scene at the High Street were coppers, streetcleaners, and a couple of obsessive-looking middle-ages ladies.  So we settled the kids into their beach chairs, bought ourselves some coffees & got settled in for a long wait (she wasn't due till 12.45), looking forward to enjoying the family atmosphere.  It was a fun morning - the notorious and shameless self-publicist The Town Crier - Lord of the Manor of ?? - seemed to cotton on to the fact that we had a good spot and  attempted to cosy-up with us.  I've got no problem being sociable and the whole day was a lot of fun, however when the space that we have been saving for 3 hours with 2 kids under the age of 8, gets invaded by a 6ft tall 70 year-old bloke, and the kids get elbowed to the side, just so he can get his face in the paper, I get a bit narked. 

(It got a bit busier)

I was more narked when her Majesty deliberately avoided coming to our place at the railings when she saw that dreadful man (i can't blame her) so the kids didn't get to see her really close up. 

Never mind - it's all an experience, never to be repeated.  God save The Queen (from Town Criers).