anyone queuing to see the coffin in London atm?

[DickDarstedly]

I am wondering how long the queue is and how the organisation is working out. Are there enough toilets? Is it true that the wristband allows you to leave and come back?

EDITED BY MNHQ Please find the link to the new thread www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4635946-anyone-queuing-to-see-the-coffin-in-london-atm-pt-2

I won't get a cab. Maybe I should get an earlier train??

The Livestream is still on just had the hourly changing of the guard which was quite exciting.

A lot of people seem to be strolling straight by now rather than stopping to nod etc.

There are many more people passing through now, with two columns either side of the coffin, than was the case when I went through last night (just one stream each side). I wonder how many people pass through the Hall now each hour and how many are estimated to have seen HM so far? I had heard that the maximum number of people that could be accommodated during the four days was 400,000?

Get an earlier train so you can get the tube down to embankment. As you're not local, you might be a bit vulnerable getting a night bus or walking if you're not familiar.

I didn’t see it. Do forgive me.

It is a long way to walk from Euston. Maybe try a night bus to Waterloo or London Bridge.

Would like to visit for the historical perspective, to pay my respects and just experience the whole pageantry of the occasion, but I couldn't queue for hours and hours on end just to shuffle past for 30 seconds.

On the flip side, I'm a funeral arranger and see coffins all day long, so it would be a bit of a 'busman's holiday' for me!

Those thinking this is a new or driven by social media here are the photos of The Queue from
George VI 1952
George V 1932

And the Queen Mum 2002

Taken from a post on Twitter!

Look how smart everyone looks.

Part of me wouldn't mind going back to tailored attire 🤣 it suits my body shape better!

Someone I know went last night and joined the queue at 9pm, she got in at 5:30am. I went to Green Park to lay flowers today and heard someone say they joined at 5am and got in at 10:30am.

Goodness it looks like it had snowed in one of them and they're queueing next to the Thames🥶

I love those archive photographs, @Janesdufflecoat

Thank you for them.

Agree with this. I've seen Americans comment on the queue in London, yet every New Years Eve tens of thousands of Americans go stand in Times Square for upwards of 12 hours (without the ability to move around, take a toilet break or buy food) to watch a giant lit-up ball drop.

That wouldn't be for me, but each to their own eh?

Funny you should say this I was in New York for NYE one year, and I flat out refused to go anywhere near times Square 🤣

But weirdly if I didn't have work/childcare issues I would happily wait in line to pay my respects to HMTQ.

I cannot for the life of me understand why people are taking children who are younger than teenagers. They must be bored out of their minds.

It’s good for children to be bored sometimes. And I’m sure the majority of parents taking their children are better placed to know how the children will cope than strangers on the internet.

There's a difference between kids having time to be bored and queuing for umpteen hours for something that is no benefit to them at all.

update: I said I would come back and let you know how I got on.

So, DH and I decided against queuing overnight in the end. We left early in the morning instead and started at the end of the queue, which was Southwark Cathedral at that point, at 8.15. Finally got into the hall at 2.20. So, 6 hours waiting. Not too bad.

Some tips for anyone thinking of going:

1. IMO it is totally worth it. Even if you are not a royalist (and I'm not particularly) it's an extraordinary experience. The hall itself and everything in it is an aesthetic masterpiece and the atmosphere is unlike anything I have ever experienced.
2. Do use the what3words app if you can, to locate the exact place the queue ends, and keep checking. I assumed it wouldn't change much so I ended up having to walk a long way just to find the end of the queue because it had changed in just a few minutes
3. Probably wrong of me to tell you this as but if you are in the hall when the guards change you get much longer as the queue has to stop. They change every 20 minutes (20 past the hour...). It's possible to hold back a bit just after security if you want to do this. This doesn't hold up anyone else btw
4. There are plenty of toilets. Hooray! Don't miss out on the really long row of them outside the Tate. They are not obvious unless you look. Towards the end there are even more.
5. If you are on your own, make friends quickly so you can get someone to hold your place if you go to the toilet/get a drink
6. Wrist bands were being given out by the Festival Hall, before that there were none.
7. After St Thomas's hospital the queue is kind of sealed, nobody new can get in it
8. Although it's a good idea to bring food and drink you can't take anything in with you. So many people had to get rid of food (some can be donated to foodbanks)
9. Like at the airport all creams, makeup etc. are banned including hand sanitiser.
10. Bag searches and security generally is very, very tight
11. You can't bring in any flowers

Sorry I may have made a mistake about changing of the guards. It certainly happens at 20 past the hour, now not sure about other times

Fairly sure from the live stream you are correct that it's every 20 mins. Really interesting to read your experience and tips, thanks @DickDarstedly !

There's a difference between kids having time to be bored and queuing for umpteen hours for something that is no benefit to them at all.

Obviously the " no benefit " bit is a huge matter of opinion. Their parents clearly don't agree. And those kids are fine.

I think it's great to see parents sticking their necks out and including children who mostly do really really well in that situation.

It's very heartening.

I'm still thinking about the pyjama triplets!

The children have no say at all in whether they go or not. Imagine standing in a queue for what 10 hours at the age of 3. There is no amount of food or toys that could make that a fun day out

Me too @CaptainBarbosa! We took the subway up to a few blocks short of the bottom of Central Park to see the fireworks, and as it happened a friendly NYPD guy let us crane our heads round the corner to see all the crowds stretching right down to Times Square. We did actually see the ball drop, but from about 10 blocks away

I would queue to pay my respects to the Queen, were I in London.