The Queen and I... a flaggy dog story

I promised you the Queen, and the Queen you shall have. But first, here's a very patriotic pup. Woof Brittania!

ER was visiting Liverpool on Thursday to open the fab new museum and celebrate something to do with the Liver Buildings (eg the fact that they have survived amidst some truly hideous new buildings sprouting up around them).

Then she came across to our side of the Mersey to see the refurbished Floral Pavilion theatre just around the corner from my mum and dad's.

It was supposed to be hush hush. There were top level meetings, secret briefings, Special Branch directives - tell no-one.  But everyone knew something was up when all the local railings got a fresh coat of paint. Then mum found out the full details from the bin men.

She didn't stop to chat - probably hungry or desperate for a royal 'wee'. So these are as close as I got to frank, close-up portraits of her majesty - a few distant glimpses through a forest of flags and cameras, and the back of her head as she left.

I was hoping to get something like the ones below...