The Queen's Funeral

Thankfully, I woke up to find the after effects of yesterday's covid booster jab had subsided completely. Good news, as were intending to drive to Bristol to watch the funeral of the Queen with Amanda and James, our first visit since August 2021, due to covid. Traffic was light for a Bank Holiday Monday, with so many people watching the service on telly at home, or in social gatherings. St John's church in our Parish was showing it on a large screen, with a light lunch afterwards provided by the Mothers Union. I'd have gone if it hadn't been such opportune to go to Bristol. Both she and James are on good form. She made us a splendid lunch while the Queen's coffin was on its way from Westminster to Windsor for burial in St George's chapel royal vault.

In every aspect. the service and the military ceremonial were beautifully planned and perfectly organised. Amazingly, the service from Westminster Abbey was televised with no commentary, titles were shown on screen identifying those with speaking parts. Archbishop Justin spoke very well. It was in every sense a clear and positive witness to Christian faith the Monarch professed. It seems she chose the hymns, and maybe the readings as well. The prayers were mainly from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, some adapted to the occasion, plus a few new ones as well, but all of them framed in Tudor style English. We've got so used to using contemporary English, this had a strange poetic freshness to it.

If there were any security incidents they occurred off the radar of the mass media. An atmosphere of peace and quiet reverence prevailed, in the Abbey and on the streets of the capital. Some people will question the relevance of the antique rituals of state and armed forces to modern life, but not take into account that all those involved are highly trained and disciplined in modern warfare, security and rescue practices. Having to work together in such large teams in which everyone knows their role and place is part of parcel of their military training. I don't begrudge them their quaint if not bizarre traditions when they put themselves in harm's way on active service for the good of the country. The Queen set the supreme example by her life of devotion to the duty of serving others.

We left Amanda and James's place mid-afternoon and drove to Redfield to visit Owain. After a cup of tea we walked around Netham Park, his nearest green space overlooking Netham Lock, which is the point at which boats on the Kennet and Avon canal gain access to Bristol's Floating Harbour. The canal between the weir at the lock and the harbour known as the Feeder Canal, carries the water of the river Avon and is tidal. It dates back to the early nineteenth century. The Netham park site was once a huge chemical works established in 1859 which made caustic soda and sulphuric acid. The works would have been a major polluter in its day, and no doubt the ground is still contaminated. It closed in 1949 and the site levelled to create the park. Owain said that people are warned not to collect blackberries from bushes along the canal because of their potential toxicity.

We left Bristol in what would normally be the rush hour, but traffic was still light for a Bank Holiday, all the way to Cardiff, which made a pleasant change. After supper I watched the last episode of 'The Blacklist', of what turns out to be series one. It's overall storyline remains as confusing as ever. I'm still not sure what the series is getting at. A mystery, but not in the usual sense of the word when it comes to tales of crime solving.