City Camp

HRH and her little charges (grades 3 and 4) along with other teachers and some parents have just spent an amazing and hectic 3 days in Melbourne as part of our 'urban' experience. We visited some fabulous places - The Aquarium, The M.C.G., Albert Park, MSAC , Queen Victoria Market. We stayed at Melbourne Discovery in Franklin Street and used public transport and our legs to get around town. We ate at Trios at Southbank and Notturno's on Lygon Street, Carlton. A great time was had by all. We managed to bring all the cherubs home to their parents! All needed a lot of sleep over the weekend.

Southbank in the Summer

HRH and her Consort visited Southbank last weekend. We met up with Lord and Lady Tambourine, from Queensland. They were visiting relatives for the weekend. We enjoyed a pleasant afternoon watching the sights of Southbank (Melbourne) and catching up with each other. There is always something happening here!

A Murder Mystery

HRH and family were invited to the birthday dinner of Lord Quentin Daventry. A very excited HRH, Consort, Duke and Duchess dressed with care (to impress) and travelled by coach to The Retreat Hotel for the much awaited dinner. Lord Daventry has been a family friend for a long time. He has fallen on hard times (debauchery, gambling), but nonetheless, the dinner should be a gathering of the 'who's who'.

But, Alas, unfortunately a sad demise, murder, no less! A total of 3 guests and one of the staff met their untimely end (and were unable to finish their dinner!). It was great fun, we all enjoyed a night of hilarity and good conversation.

Fun at the Vines!

The 3 Stooges, as they appeared at The Vines on Saturday night.

Victorian fires.

The view from the Castle on Saturday morning (a week after the day from Hell). Smoke from the still burning fires helped create an eerie sensation. A pungent, smokey smell, oppressive atmosphere, The Little Druumer Princess finds breathing difficult (asthma), the sun all but blocked. A reminder of the difficulties faced by the residents and volunteers fighting for survival in Healesville, Kinglake, Marysville and nearby areas. We are far away and still we have this!

The Consort goes ROAD!

The Consort decides to buy a road bike to try and get fit. Spurred on by his brother-in-law, The Baron Von Myrtle. The Consort gets 'fitted out' at Jones Cycles in Frankston. Very helpful staff set up a bike, complete with computer (so HRH is able to check distances travelled, OR NOT!), new helmet, repair kit and the list goes on and on and on..... A great Valentines Day gift for the much loved Consort. The Baroness Von Myrtle asked for a computer to be fitted to The Baron's new bike as well. Does that mean we don't trust our husbands???

The pool is finished, the decking complete, the garden 'a work in progress'. HRH and the royals has enjoyed many hours of heat relief over the past few weeks. A big thanks to Dean (our resident landscaper and master of all trades), his wife for renting him out, and all tradies who helped us. The Consort still grumbles about looking after the pool, but HRH does what she can, even eliciting the services of the Princess on the odd occasion.

Bush Fires

The devastating fires in Victoria have had the amazing affect of bringing the unlikely together. Our school raised over $3ooo today as a result of a 'free dress' day. Kids and teachers came to school in clothes of their choice. Thanks to all of you for your generosity. We are a little school (420) but we have big hearts. We had a bush fire drill today as well. As we are in a bush setting, we must be vigilant too! Go to this link for up to date news on the fires and the relief effort. The Herald Sun. I took these photos as I was taking The Little Drummer Princess to work, we got as far as the end of our street and this is what greeted us! Too close for comfort.

A year of birthdays

HRH is excited! She is turning 50 this year. What a hoot it will be! Keep an eye on this space for more information. Not only is it HRH's 50th, but it will be The Consort's son's 18th, the Little Drummer Princessess 18th AND the Queen Mother's 70th.

HRH is teaching a grade 3 / 4 class this year. Visit their blog to see what is happening.

The Royal Band in Action

People come from the four corners of the Realm to hear the Royal Band. This snap was taken during an intense 'jam' session using Guitar Hero - a Christmas present to the Princesses.

homeward Bound!

The many sights to be had on the way to or from Birdsville. Paddy melons abound by the roadside near Sealake.

Barren, dry, we are in a drought.

Silos stand empty, making a forlorn backdrop to the now quiet towns. Gone is the busyness and bustling of the towns dotted along the rail lines. Please God send more rain. Please humans - be more careful in your use of our precious water.

The Littlest member of the Royal family enjoying her first Christmas. She was the centre of attention for the entire day. It was hot in Birdsville! But the Royals had plenty of amber ale, coke and wine on tap along with the 27 bags of ice needed over the 2 days of festivities! The ham, turkey, prawns and pudding wre eaten with gusto. Dinner was home made ravioli and sauce. I don't know where the diners managed to put it, maybe they had 3 stomachs (like the cow) and just used the first 2 for lunch! Thanks Lord and Lady Brewer for a lovely time in your new home.

MonaVie

Monavie is a drink that helps people eat fruit and make it easier to get as close to 6 servings of fruit as possible. Monavie drinkers pay $2.50 a day per person. Try to go to the store and buy a handful of acai berries, an apricot, a handful of purple grapes, a handful of white grapes, a handful of cranberries, a handful of blueberries, a pear, a kiwi, a pomegranate, a passion fruit, some camu camu, a banana, a nashi pear, a lychee fruit, a Glucosamine pill and a prune and see if you can leave the store under $2.50. And see if you can do it in under 2 minutes. That's as long as it takes me to drink 30ml of Monavie twice a day. This makes sense to me and it's easier than taking vitamins. If you are interested in drinking the juice or marketing the juice, I will be glad to help you.

Princess Niece # 4

Doing an on-the-spot rendition of the Pulp Fiction move made famous by Uma Thurman, Princess #4 entertained the kitchen helpers during the afternoon.

The Jumping Castle

The children enjoying the jumping castle

Christening at St Luke's Uniting Church

The Spit Roasts

Lamb on a spit. ..................................... Pig on a spit.

The Christening Cake!

Birdsville - The Royal Christening

The long Melbourne Cup weekend saw most of the Royal family enjoying a rare family gathering in Birdsville. The occasion? The Christening of our youngest royal - Princess Heaven. All hands were on deck to aid Lord and Lady Brewer as they prepared their summer home for the gathering. Guests travelled from far and wide for this momentous occasion. The jumping castle was a big hit with all attendees! The buffet and spit roasts were magnificent, the desserts glorious. Lady Brewer made the christening cake herself (and did a fine job). HRH helped with the decorating, both were pleased with the results. The Royal Guard was able to leave early to take up his other royal duties, knowing we were very safe. The Queen Mother held court graciously, whilst the Princesses all did a great job, helping in the kitchens and entertaining Little Heaven. Lord No-a-lot danced to the Queen Mother's tune with a spring in his step. He even celebrated his own birthday quietly, so that Little Heaven could have all the limelight on her special day. The Consort gave the Royal chaffeur a break on the trip home and drove ALL the way.

THE FETE!

TREASURE ISLAND

PLANTS GALORE! (cheap too)

The Consort on sausage cooking duty.

Holy Trinity Anglican Church Hastings, held their annual fete today, 18th October. It was great fun, a beautiful day, lots of bargins, games, face painting, bric a brac and raffles. Hopefully a lot of money was raised to help us continue to do God's work in the Hastings community.

HRH and The Consort enjoying the pool. It has been a long process (much longer than quoted), waiting for our new pool to be complete and 'swimmable'. HRH has been in every day since the pool opened for the Royals to use. HRH is very content and loving her pool. LDP and The Consort have been in ONCE! The Solar heating works a treat! There are still issues with the filtration system and staining to the interior, but hopefully the pool company will honour their contract and promises and fix it soon.

Specialist entrance at Cabrini

It certainly felt like Spring and looked like Spring, and IT was Spring! These beautiful gardens are for you to enjoy as you enter the Consulting Suites at Cabrini Hospital. LDP and HRH went there recently to see the Royal Opthalmologist, James, to have our regular eye check. Not only is James thorough, but he has a pleasant 'bedside' manner. Since the sad passing of Michael, our usual Opthalmologist, the Royals have been visiting James. LDP and HRH have healthy eyes and don't need to see James for 2 years!

The Royal Hairdressers

The Little Drummer Princess and HRH take a long overdue visit to the Royal Hairdressers in Somerville, Metamorphic. Mel, Grace and the girls are happy to do all they can to meet your hair requests. They love to spend time with you advising on styles, colours and product to make the most of your crowning glory. Give them a call. We were both very pleased with the results. You might notice that HRH has a considerable 'chop'! The Consort was not entirely happy.

Entertaining our NZ visitors

HRH was visited by her little NZ family members. Grade 3 helped entertain them during a picnic lunch and subsequent sunny afternoon. We took tables outside, coloured, played soccer, skipping games and used remote control cars. Fun for all!

A Celebration!

HRH celebrated her birthday with the help of her 'buddy' and class. 'Buddy' R not only came armed with pressies, but also these lovely platters of goodies to share. We all had a lovely time over morning tea. We were the envy of many who watched our small party in awe! Thank you very much 'Buddy' R.

Elmo and Celest

The Consort loves his new little niece, Lady Celest. He played with her and Elmo for ages at our recent family gathering.