Hob nobbing with the royals...

The queen visited my work place today!  I am one of the many people working on the University of Exeter Streatham campus in Exeter itself.  (They also have one in Falmouth in Cornwall and another in Exeter called St Lukes.)
For the last 2ish years they have been redeveloping the centre of the campus with what is called the Forum project – an all singing all dancing space with lecture spaces, study spaces, shops, food, banks etc etc etc.  Oh and lots of glass, some trees and a rather spiffy copper roof we saw in this post.  I work in a building pretty much slap bang opposite so we were right in the middle of the action with snipers on the roof and a massive (and loud) sound stage positioned immediately outside our front door!
The visit meant the day consisted of bouts of work interspersed with rumour of her arrival time, routes she’ll use and much standing around waiting; flag in one hand and camera in the other.
I’m not really much of a royalist although as I’m told it they bring a fair few tourist dollars.  However it was a nice thing to have been there and in the thick of it today.  ‘Nice’ in that peculiarly indefinable British way of being proud of someone but too embarrassed to show it and won over by what is in essence any one of us but for an accident of birth and a damn big car.  

There was also Prince Philip who is so far beyond politically correct I have to admit to finding him hilarious.  Anyway – it was a far more fun way to spend the day than my normal working 9-5.30 is plus the sun came out and I got a free ice-cream from one of the new Forum shops.  So all good.  J