The Serious Side - part 8

Carol - You're right. Memorials like these aren't practical, but I don't think people are thinking about that now. Leaving memorials like these may seem wasteful, but I think they are a way for people to show their respects and ease their grief a bit. Who knows, maybe someone does come out at night and remove some of the things - if only to make room for more.

Actually all the bouquets are turned into compost for all the Royal Parks, and people have asked to remove all wrapping before they lay them down or take it to be recycled.

       This is all part of the Royal Family's ethic. The Queen has created vast park and green spaces around the Globe in Commonwealth territories called The Green Canopy and there is a
programme about it with the Queen and David Attenborough walking through different areas.
It's a really good idea to give to something like that instead. 

         I understand that all the Paddingtons and teddies given by children will be given to
 childrens charities too.

PAN - I suspected something like that. After what happened when Diana died, they had a good idea what kind of response to expect and how to deal with it. That the flowers and toys are recycled doesn't surprise me, given the family's support for conservation - especially Charles.

I do wonder what they will do with all the cards and art work that people left. Do you think they will all be archived somewhere? Do you think the family will ever look through it all? I guess it would be a daunting task, considering how much there is, but I know I would be curious to see what people had left.

Lizzy, providing that the cards are not scattered with glitter etc, they will all be sent for recycling - as happens in every household in the country. We are all given different sorts of bins by our councils  (usually four) to collect waste - so paper and cans etc in one, all garden waste in another, food in another and one for everything that's not for one of those.

    They have asked today for no more teddies or Paddingtons to be left becos the numbers are just massive across the country - and all flowers without any sort of wrapping. The Royal Family will probably ask to keep a selection -in fact a child gave Prince William a Paddington Bear yesterday and he said thank you and that he might think about giving it to Louis. Very diplomatic

PAN - I was thinking the family would want to keep a few things from the memorials but I can't imagine how that would be done. Someone would have to remove the things from the displays, but how would they know which things the family might want? I really can't see any of the royals going through the piles themselves. Oh, well. Not my problem.

Just a thought, but I feel sorry for any poor guy who had a fight with his lady and wanted to bring her flowers as an apology. They're probably pretty hard to find right now. I guess he'd have to settle for a box of candy - or maybe jewelry (if it was a really bad fight!).

Last week, the next bigger city nearby celebrated its 1100 years anniversary, and on Thursday, they held a reception for the delegations of the twin towns. When they heard that the Queen had passed away, they heldva minute of silence, and early in the morning, the British delegation including the mayor, left.

They knew they would be needed at home. The british twin town is Windsor- Maidenhead...

All the flowers and gifts are being picked up by the Royal Parks staff every night so that there is room for more. Flowers are hard to find in central London unless you take out a second mortgage.

    I have decided to plant a tree in one of the Queens Green Canopy sites instead.

     Incredibly moving stuff going on here - but also a minefield of different routes for people - and queues to lay flowers and now this afternoon walk past her coffin in Westminster Hall. The queues go back the length of the River Thames and London's bridges and everyone is issued with armbands marking where they were in the queue so that they can go and get food, etc. Many have been waiting a long time.

PAN - Obviously not the same, but it reminds me a bit of the feeling here when JFK was killed. A deep sadness and incredible feeling of loss. It was hard to believe it was real and it's still a painful memory.

Will you try to pay your respects at Westminster? I imagine the lines won't get any shorter. You'd probably have to bring food and drink to sustain you while you wait - maybe even a camp chair.

Planting a tree is a lovely gesture, and unlike flowers, it will last. I hope a lot of other people have the same idea.