I actually admit to investing the best part of Monday afternoon stoically trying to fight off the teardrops — and almost managing it. I was watching the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on TV and for an ancient Brit like me it was emotionally exhausting. Please excuse me for the sentimentality.
From early on it became apparent I could be battling a losing battle with the emotions. Because the cortege set off from Buckingham Palace the particular haunting sound from the pipers sent an instantaneous shiver up the spine. Nonetheless I used to be holding up quite well till towards the end when the procession approached Windsor Castle.
That’s when we saw Elizabeth’s favourite equine, Emma, obediently standing up there between the plants watching the hearse go by. The lovely black fell horse which Elizabeth rode while she is at her 90s, appeared forlorn as if it knew it got just lost the dear friend. There was clearly even the Queen’s headscarf on the pony’s saddle. Cue the first tear.
Then came the corgis. How strange that after spending hours watching the weeping packed areas it took Elizabeth’s four-legged friends in order to trigger my first teardrop.
The entire proceedings were a memorable display of pomp plus ceremony organised with military precision. Topping the list were the particular 10 pallbearers through the Grenadier Guards. Being a pallbearer is an unenviable task at the best of times, let alone when half the world can be watching and will place the slightest slide. The composure they will showed as they carried the coffin in the steep steps to Saint George’s Chapel on Windsor was truly impressive.
The final chapter in the chapel featured a lone piper playing for the late Queen. What a poignant second and a fitting goodbye to Elizabeth II.
Browsing line
One of things we have observed in the past couple of weeks is that the British nevertheless lead the way in the art of queueing. At one phase people stood in-line for as much as 24 hours in the nearly 10-mile -long queue to find out Elizabeth lying within state, although it was usually around fourteen hours. One twitter thread called it “a triumph of Britishness”.
Being brought up in England I have had significant experience in the dubious joys of queueing, although admittedly on a much smaller scale to people witnessed in London. Actually queue etiquette has been an essential part of their upbringing. According to the survey some years back the average England person will stand inside a queue for a complete of four days a year. It’s nearly a national sport.
As George Mikes, the Hungarian-born English author once observed: “An Englishman, even if he could be alone, forms a good orderly queue of one. ”
Shady tale
When I was initially in Thailand, I noticed people at bus stops queueing diagonally across the pavement. It took me a little while to determine that they were actually escaping the sun simply by standing in the thin slip of tone created by the darkness of the power rod.
In those days people would joke that Thais got no real understanding of the word “queue” so when waiting for something might simply gather in the large crowd with no discernible beginning or even end.
Things have improved considerably since then and people queue quite properly on the BTS even when it is crowded. Admittedly the Thai interpretation of queue is probably still a little more versatile than in Europe. So that as in most countries there are always some people who seem to think you sign up for the queue at the front.
Fault it on 007
I associate long queues with the early Mission impossible films. On a damp November night in 1962 in my home town of Reading I recall joining the queue that snaked around the Odeon movie theater for the opening of the initial Bond movie, Dr No . It was the first time I noticed the catchphrase “The name’s Bond… James Bond. ” Anyone who had the surname of Bond lived upon that little expression at dinner events for years to come.
A couple of years later, in 1964, as being a student I remember queueing at a cinema in Kingston-on-Thames to see the newly-released Goldfinger. Again it was inclement weather and we had been wrapped up within our college scarfs. We recall the movie theater doorman sneering on us saying “I thought students are supposed to be intelligent. This particular film’s a load of rubbish. ”
He was probably right, however it was entertaining rubbish. Not so sure it was worth queueing designed for though.
The longest time I have spent in a queue was for more than three hours definitely one Sunday morning out-of-doors Chelsea’s Stamford Connect stadium in January 1965. I was paying for tickets in advance for that Chelsea v Spurs FA Cup match.
That was long before the days associated with mobile phones, so you had to reluctantly pass the time working on strange things like truly talking to other people inside the queue. It was very good fun.
The professionals
Around the world there are queue professionals, oftentimes known as “line standers” who make a living browsing line for loaded people who can’t be worried. One Londoner expenses 20 pounds (840 baht) an hour and also says he constitutes a decent living. Within China one experienced commented cheerfully “You don’t need any sort of skills, except enabling you to suffer. ”
Think I’m going give that task opportunity a neglect.
Contact PostScript via email from oldcrutch@hotmail. com