I travelled extensively throughout the UK to see The Queen, over the years, as well as venturing abroad several times, to Malta, Germany and the US amongst other places. While my UK travels never extended to Ireland, for various reasons, I visited both Scotland and Wales many many times, and the pictures included here represent only a fraction of them.

Being at Balmoral when Her Majesty arrived officially for the start  of her summer holiday was always lovely, although a very long way to travel for ten minutes, and I went several times, enjoying watching her review the guard outside the gate of Balmoral Castle before disappearing inside in her car. On alternate years this generally coincided with her private and very low key visit to the sale of work at nearby Crathie Church Hall, which was always lovely to attend. The Queen would always come to chat and take flowers from people waiting to see her, and was more relaxed here than in other places as she was off duty and not in a rush to continue with an official engagement.

I also attended the Highland Gathering in Braemar several times, probably the best known Highland Games in the world, with tourists flooding there in their thousands on the first Saturday of each September, to join the locals for their annual traditions. Patronised by royalty since Queen Victoria's days, this "village event" is an example of everything that Scotland is known for, with a side dish of royal visitors and midges. The day is interesting to photograph, with its challenges, and the weather can vary from blazing sunshine to monsoon like rain in a day, so you have to go prepared for anything and be surprised by nothing - but once you have been once you will want to go back, again and again.

Scottish week in the summer has also taken me to Scotland several times, and in 2016 my six-year-old godson and I went on an adventure on the train to Edinburgh together, culminating in seeing Her Majesty when she attended Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile. Charlie had taken a small posy of flowers with him from home, and they had spent many hours clutched carefully in his hands, on and off, for some 36 hours by the time Sunday morning arrived. The visit started well - we had good places behind the barrier and a good view of everything. I had promised Charlie that he could use my point and shoot camera to take some photos himself and we were excited for things to happen. The Queen and Prince Philip arrived and went inside, at which point my camera jammed completely and became unuseable. But we had Charlie's flowers to hand over, so it was still going to be a good morning, and we were happy. Finally the service was over and The Queen emerged through the gateway and walked towards the barriers, where several other people also had flowers and photographs to give to her. While she was still a little way away Charlie took some photos while I held his flowers, passing them to him as Her Majesty approached us with a beaming smile. She stopped and asked us whether we were enjoying our visit, knowing that we were far from home, and as we answered Charlie handed over the flowers, which he had just explained had travelled with us. As The Queen took them carefully from him everything seemed to go into slow motion as I watched the head of the beautiful red rose gracefully part company with the stem and drop to the floor at The Queen's feet, leaving her with a stem! Without a pause she grinned at Charlie, looked down to the ground, and pronounced "Oh well. Never mind, it's the thought that counts!" This is a story that has been repeated many times since, and caused his teacher to laugh aloud when we told her.

 I have been to Wales to see The Queen many times too - with Cardiff Railway Station being the venue for many good encounters with Her Majesty! I saw her in Cardiff for the opening of the Welsh Assembly, along with Prince Philip, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall several times, and my son Zachary and I had a wonderful evening attending The Royal Variety Performance there in the Millennium Centre in 2005. I have been to many Welsh towns and cities for royal visits, and will never forget seeing the royal train there, pulled by a steam engine along the coast, during the Golden Jubilee year.