William and Kate are worth a thousand press handouts and demonstrating exactly what influential young royals should be doing, writes Shirley Tart.

It already promises to be the most fabulous royal jubilee in our lifetime, locally, nationally and internationally, writes Shirley Tart. A reign lasting for 60 eventful years through so many changing scenes, should be celebrated and enjoyed by as many of us as possible.

Is Mike taking the Mickey here? Or is somebody guilty as charged of over-hyping alleged tackles off the rugby field?

Blog: What a curious lot we are. On the one hand you can’t move, speak, sell a jolly golly or crack a joke without referring to your manual on racism/sexism/ageism/human rights and so on, to the point where you need an international expert to go to the pub with you.

Royal correspondent Shirley Tart on the moment that the Queen and Catherine’s refreshing honesty on the display of her wedding dress.

Blog: Wow! What a way to touch the hearts of people just wondering what you’re like in real life. As one Canadian military wife shared her concerns for her husband with another young wife, she was unprepared for the reply, writes Shirley Tart.

Blog: Seb Coe was an amazing athlete and a deserved Olympic champ. Full stop so far as I’m concerned, writes Shirley Tart.

Blog: They feel each other’s pain, argue with each other about directions, flirt and share what they have. What very nice and normal human beings? No actually, I’m talking about African elephants.

Blog: She may have done more than 400 state visits criss-crossing the globe numerous times in her nearly 60 years on the throne. But today truly is an historic royal occasion as the Queen, at 85, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 90 next month, cross the Irish Sea.

Blog: All last week’s elections proved is that nobody votes for anybody any longer. Pretty well every cross cast was making a choice against something or someone.

Looking back on another dazzling day, what’s to especially remember asks royal correspondent Shirley Tart?

Blog: In many ways, it would be an inspired choice.

Blog: Every little girl dreams of being a bridesmaid, though few get to walk down the aisle at Westminster Abbey behind a bride who will one day be Queen.

Not for nothing has the Duke of Edinburgh just been named Oldie of the Year, writes Shirley Tart.

Blog: More people are declaring that 60 is the new 40 and 70 the new 50, if you get my drift, while the very old homily that you’re only as old as you feel is regularly trotted out.

Blog: They’ve been described as being of biblical proportions. Australian floods sweeping 30ft deep through an area as big as France and Germany combined, are certainly beyond the comprehension of most of us and show once more how man and beast are totally at the mercy of the planet when it roars.

Less than a week ago most gifts weren’t wrapped, some not even bought. By Christmas afternoon one woman was on e-Bay flogging candlesticks given that morning by her sister-in-law and boasting about it.

We know the latest student protest won’t be the last.

It was business as usual for the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall despite an attack by thugs (yes thugs) as they travelled to the Royal Variety Performance.

The Princess Royal visits two Shropshire success stories on Monday.

Blog: I’m furious! Unable to drag myself away from a television set through Tuesday night, with millions of others, I was witnessing the best news story in the world, a most remarkable event.

Blog: Word is that David offered Ed the planned new leader’s speech he never got to make in case Miliband Minor could use part of it, and that Ed’s people politely turned it down.

I rarely write the following: I agree with Ed Balls. But when he was Children’s Minister in the last government and sacked social services boss Sharon Shoesmith, I backed him to the hilt writes Shirley Tart.

Reviewer’s rating *** Shirley Tart and friends find patient and friendly staff serving good food in the market town.

Blog: Shirley Tart’s view of this week’s headlines.

Blog: Those jibes and barbs about David Cameron never understanding ordinary people, having no clue about the problems of the common man, can never be levelled at him again.

You are not supposed to use a royal invite as a political trophy but Nick Griffin did just that, writes Shirley Tart.

Blog: Back in the 1990s I did an interview with a local woman, a church deacon, and we used a full page colour photograph of her in front of a stained glass window. Things had just changed dramatically for her, for a wider group of her colleagues and for the Anglican Church.

I was well prepared to give the new coalition a go, admits Shirley Tart. We knew there would have to be compromise, but couldn’t that be for the good and a move away from extremism, right or left?

Shirley Tart reports from Wimbledon, the world’s most famous tennis tournament.