Superman Shakes The Royal Hand

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall took a leisurely stroll through our little Village today.

This doesn't happen everyday so the Boys and I thought we'd go and extend a friendly Tasmanian "Hello".

There was much excitement and some local businesses really went overboard to make The Royals feel at home should they stop by for a chat and a cup of tea.

Everyone was dressed in their Sunday Best, including the Boys. Noah decided to impress The Royals with his favourite Superman costume while George chose a slightly more understated outfit of shorts and T-shirt with a smear of porridge down the front.

The streets started to fill up and so did the police presence.

The waiting around was getting a bit much for Superman.

When news came in that The Royals were still going to be another hour away, I high-tailed it around the corner to the Sweet Shop and bought the biggest Gobstopper I could find.

This provided the burst of energy Superman needed to fly up to The Royal Jet and hurry The Royals along.

Finally they arrive.

Prince Charles looking spritely and very dapper in Grey.

And then quickly disappear into The Wood Shop where I bought the wooden buttons for my giveaway and then they stopped into The Richmond Arms for a Pint of Beer.

30 minutes later, we finally get to see them up close and personal.

The Duchess smiles at me and comes over for a chat.

The Prince of Wales went to the other side of the road but The Duchess came right up to us and we had a little chat. She was lovely and personable and I shook her hand and said "Welcome to Tasmania, so lovely to meet you, I hope you have a wonderful stay". I didn't curtsy. Should I have? There was no Etiquette Briefing beforehand. Oh Dear.

Superman stuck out his hand too. "And who do we have here?", says the Duchess. "Batman!"

"I'm not Batman! I'm Superman!", says Superman. Yup, my 4 year old Son just corrected Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cornwall. Another faux pas! How embarrassing!

But just look at the way she holds his hand and bends down to chat to him. Just precious!

And did Superman enjoy his first Royal experience?

Why yes he did!

My Local Village

If you turn left at the bottom of our windy driveway and travel a few minutes down the road past historic homesteads, hillside wineries and green pastures full of sheep and dairy cattle, you will arrive at the historic village of Richmond. This area was originally known as The Coal River Valley, named so after Coal was found at the mouth of the River in 1804. However, as the township grew it was proclaimed Richmond in 1826 and is now known as Historic Richmond Village, the hub of the Coal Valley Wine Region. It is a must-see if you are travelling to Tasmania. It is home to the oldest everything - the oldest Catholic Church in Australia, the oldest Bridge in Australia, the oldest Gaol preserved in its entirety, the oldest Post Office, Primary School etc. It is said that a British Convict by the name of Ikey Solomon was housed here and was the model used by Charles Dickens when he created the Character 'Fagin' in Oliver Twist.

I absolutely adore our local village. It's steeped in history as well as being a picturesque and quaint Georgian Village and the locals are the loveliest bunch of people around. The Petrol Station attendant will enquire about your Kids, the Grocer will notice when you're having a bad day and the Hairdresser knows everything and everyone. Like most small places, it's a close knit and supportive community.

However, the main reason we love to come into the Village is to feed the bossy ducks. It is another of my favourite activities to do with the boys while the other kids are at school during the week. We try to avoid weekends because the Village is swarming with tourists. We love the Tourists but they increase the Ducks' diet a million fold and by Sunday the Ducks won't even give you a sideways glance. And there is nothing more disappointing than breaking tiny pieces of bread and throwing them into a river of ambivalent Ducks.

Our little outings are incomplete without a play at the park and a coffee. The best coffee is found at The Richmond Wine Centre but the Bakery keeps the Little People happy with Babycino's and Chocolate Duck Biscuits as well as boasting the most amazing pies, my favourites being the Scallop Pie and Chicken and Brie (which I'm not supposed to be having while pregnant but one does tend to get a bit laissez faire by no. 5). 

Finally, here are a few snaps of 31-weeks pregnant me. The Boys did a pretty good job with the iPhone today, chopping off the odd head and limbs but managing to get the 'bump' :-)

And don't forget to enter my Giveaway mentioned in my last Post. It closes tomorrow night and I'll let you know who the winners are over the weekend. Good Luck!