I am a republican... but

[opps]

I am sitting in a pub opposite a road that faces the entrance to RAF Northolt.

When at the bar, I spoke to a couple of women that tried to get to West End Road (the road where RAF Northolt is). They were turned away and are now watching the hearse on TV in the Black Bull.

I an a republican, but one that that respected the Queen's dedication and devotion to her role. I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

 

[Ihavenojob]

I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

It gives some people's lives meaning

 

[fillyboy]

I am sitting in a pub opposite a road that faces the entrance to RAF Northolt.

When at the bar, I spoke to a couple of women that tried to get to West End Road (the road where RAF Northolt is). They were turned away and are now watching the hearse on TV in the Black Bull.

I an a republican, but one that that respected the Queen's dedication and devotion to her role. I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

I don't consider myself a republican, I don't really consider myself a royalist either but there's no doubt old Queeny did a superb job and deserves the respect the vast majority are showing. Love her as I do, I find it odd that people are attending places and queuing for hours. I'm in Herts at the moment, (home of decent, hard working right wing plumbers ) and one of the things on our to do list was visit Windsor, fond memories, pub crawls down Eton High St, but we've abandoned that idea because we know it will be mental there.

Anyway, what pricked my ears was your mention of Northolt. Working briefly at Fords Langley as a teenager I got quite pally with a Pole who was a pilot in the 2nd world unpleasantness, and the first date with my wife I took her to a pub called The Target, coincidentally on The Target roundabout on the A40 very close to Northolt.

I think it's a drive through Macdonalds now. Maybe I should take her indoors there to celebrate our first date with a Big Mac.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

I'm in favour of a monarchy, but don't want to know everything about the characters involved. One or two are undoubtably unsavoury. The gushing over The Princess Of Wales' death was OTT. There are lots of bitter people who identify as republicans and appear envious of royal privilige. I actually pity royalty who are born into a role they didn't choose. If it were me, I would be sorely tempted to do a Harry to escape. The Queen does deserve respect for her faultless service to the country over 70 years and sticking with it, even when her family sometimes let her down.

 

[transam]

Tis a strange world

I recall when that Kim il watsit snuffed it

Thousands of North Koreans lined the streets and the general concensus on the news reports we’re that they were all fruit cakes ??

 

[Justin Passing]

I hate the pomp and the bowing and the birthright bit, and the snubbings and self-importance. Service? Looking at the list of "engagements", can't say I'm impressed. Sure I'd hate to have to go to most of them, but nothing would collapse if most didn't happen.
Recently, very many have been by Zoom. One a day of those isn't too onerous.
There weren't as many military ones as I expected. Those are easy to justify.

Oh, as for sentimentality, it's just not me. I can't imagine why anyone would want to look at a coffin. As for funerals - just why, if you're not religious?

 

[Bod ...]

I'm not a staunch Royalist either will I sit watch and read much about it. Yet I'm interested as she was my Queen and if Mrs Bod wants to go up with the girls then maybe we will to lay some flowers.

 

[securespark]

As for funerals - just why, if you're not religious?

Even if it was a funeral for your relative?

 

[Odds]

...I an a republican, but one that that respected the Queen's dedication and devotion to her role. I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

It's about being there. Being there to bear witness at a moment in history when you can remember that time and how you felt about it.
People do it for all sorts of events: United fans would travel to a European Cup final just to be there, even without a ticket, to savour the atmosphere, to watch the game in a bar nearby and join in the celebrations with fans lucky enough to have seen the game in the stadium and get first hand impressions of what happened. To say "I was there."

 

[Pat ex]

Paying one's respects, even to someone you've never met is perfectly understandable. It's just like going to a funeral.
I fully understand the "but you've never met her" argument, but if someone holds another in high regard it's perfectly natural for them to want to 'pay their respects'.
The vast majority of people won't be able to attend the service, as such, so the next best thing is to fie past the coffin.
There may be some who simply want to be part of history, to be able to say, "I was there". For others it may be a show of support for the relatives. I think there are probably a myriad of reasons why people want to 'file past the coffin', just like so many want to visit war graves, monuments, etc.

On a separate note, for me personally. I never go to see an open coffin of a friend or relative for the simple reasons I want to remember them in life, not in death. But that's just me.

 

[opps]

I don't consider myself a republican, I don't really consider myself a royalist either but there's no doubt old Queeny did a superb job and deserves the respect the vast majority are showing. Love her as I do, I find it odd that people are attending places and queuing for hours. I'm in Herts at the moment, (home of decent, hard working right wing plumbers ) and one of the things on our to do list was visit Windsor, fond memories, pub crawls down Eton High St, but we've abandoned that idea because we know it will be mental there.

Anyway, what pricked my ears was your mention of Northolt. Working briefly at Fords Langley as a teenager I got quite pally with a Pole who was a pilot in the 2nd world unpleasantness, and the first date with my wife I took her to a pub called The Target, coincidentally on The Target roundabout on the A40 very close to Northolt.

I think it's a drive through Macdonalds now. Maybe I should take her indoors there to celebrate our first date with a Big Mac.

Yeah, the Target pub has been a drive through McDonalds for years. According to the interwebs it closed in 1986 .

Between 24 August and 30 September (Battle of Britain), 5% of all pilots were Polish and they accounted for 15% of German planes shot down. On 15 September 1940, now celebrated as ‘Battle of Britain Day’, one in five of the pilots in action was Polish.

 

[^woody^]

I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

Do you only ever watch live TV?

You seem to be confusing watching a live event, like some spectacle to rubber-necked and gawped at, with a wish to pay one's respect to a head of state and say out loud or in one's head a personal message of thanks and condolence.

 

[diy_fun_uk]

I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

You don't understand? I find that quite strange. Many of us (although not all) are social animals. That can display itself in people wanting to gather whether the underlying emotion is one of happiness, sadness, grief, anger, apathy, or a combo of all.

When someone of significance dies, if their coffin is driven through the streets, it's not uncommon for people to line said streets to pay their respects and/or simply to see the coffin go by.

Surely, whether you place importance on the Queen or not, you can understand why people want to pay their respects?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

I an a republican, but one that that respected the Queen's dedication and devotion to her role. I don't understand the need to to witness events, after the fact.

Likewise, but I will own up to having watched at least some of the proceedings on TV, as a matter of simple curiosity. I watched the aircraft's progress from Edinburgh, to Northolt and saw it land live on both the TV and ADB.

 

[jeds]

Each to their own. I don't really understand the queuing up myself but it seems to matter greatly to a lot of people. At least there isn't the mass hysteria that surrounded Diana's death.

I'm ambivalent on the Monarchy but If it came to that or a Presidency I'd stick with the Monarchy.