A beautiful blue sky sunny day for Prince Philip's funeral at St George's Windsor, and for our train trip to Cheltenham to meet with Owain, Kath Anto and Rhiannon, for a belated birthday picnic party in a park. We walked to the station in good time to catch at train that got us to Cheltenham at midday. We met Owain fifteen minutes later arriving on a train from Bristol, then walked to one of the town's parks, Montpellier Gardens, where we waited for the others to arrive from Kenilworth. They came by car and had to use one of the town centre car parks and walk from there to meet us, so it was one thirty by the time we met them.
It's the first family gathering (in person with big hugs) that we've had since Oxwich Bay last August. The weather was kind to us and we were able to sit out on the grass and eat our picnic comfortably and talk of the past year's events for a couple of hours. Then we walked to the town centre enjoying the atmosphere of crowds of people out in numbers for the first time since Christmas last. Pubs and restaurants are now open here to serve clients outdoors, and some had long queues of people in the street outside, waiting for a free table. Very few people were wearing masks or properly observing social distancing, perhaps they were in social bubbles and feeling able to stand that close to others.
Before we left the park a Police mobile CCTV van arrived and parked on the main thoroughfare, hoisting its 10m telescopic pole with camera mounted on top of it. We could see no uniformed officers patrolling on foot anywhere in the park, but the entire area was obviously under surveillance. I could see no evidence of misbehaviour or suspicious activity. It's clear that in some public spaces have witnessed crowds of people gathering, partying and leaving a dreadful mess behind even with uniformed police attending. Was the CCTV van there to deter the dozens of family sized groups from creating havoc? A couple of officers on foot patrol would have been preferable, as people are used to this and the officers can be asked what their duties are. As for the camera on a pole and no police officers publicly visible, I think that's sinister and a bit threatening.
We parted company at four thirty and caught a train at five fifteen. Owain accompanied us as far as Gloucester where he left us in the hope of getting a connecting train to Bristol somewhat earlier than the next long distance train for which he'd have to wait an hour. In our train carriage were two men our age, drinking orange juice from plastic bottles, and lacing it with spirits, not allowed on board, but they carried on defiantly, lowering their masks and chatting loudly, amongst other things about climate change. Both of them were 'deniers', as well as having spurious ideas about the unhealthiness of mask wearing. They drew into conversation a young student from Nottingham on her way back to Swansea where she's studying Zoology, aiming to become a conservationist. She politely disagreed with their views and behaved in a way that was a real credit to her generation.
I didn't have the energy or the wit to debate with the guys and stayed out of the conversation. People pick up all sorts of half formed ideas from the internet or tabloid media, and don't fully understand the scientific evidence surrounding climate change, simply because they cannot interpret for themselves statistical evidence involving large numbers and trends. Not everybody is willing to take seriously what David Attenborough or Greta Thunberg have to say. It's only when crisis has a personal impact that it gets taken really seriously. Events change minds more than arguments.
We arrived home at seven and Clare quickly organised supper of rice and peas with mussels in a white wine sauce, a new favourite of ours. Then we watched an edited recording of Prince Phillip's funeral, so well conceived and carried out with dignity and precision, with hundreds of members of the armed forces involved in escort duties and music making, plus the Dean of Windsor and the Archbishop of Canterbury, all giving of their best to support the thirty members of the Royal Family, everyone masked and socially distanced in an exemplary manner.
The national one minute silence was observed when the Prince's coffin had been carried shoulder high half way up the steps to St George's chapel west door, at the interface between the household of faith and the wider world of nation and Commonwealth. I found it most moving and appropriate. And I can imagine Prince Phillip had, as reported, been thinking about this and planning it over the past twenty-five years. It is being said how unique and original was his contribution to national and international life, but in a way he embodied the best attitudes, values and standards of service to others that all can take pride in. Who will take his place?
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