To go to London for the funeral?

[Deafdonkey]

I have never been to London, I hate crowds, I get lost easily.

I can get a train to London Waterloo, Google maps says it is 19 minutes walk to Westminster Abbey, do you think I'd get close enough to see anything?
Do you think it is possible to spend 10 hours in London considering everything will be closed?

I have spent my life being scared to do things, I'd like to go and pay my respects/be part of history.

I appreciate I sound like a wet wipe

I’m thinking of going too, I don’t think everything will be closed even if it’s a bank holiday now.

It’ll be rammed, but I’ve not thought too much about a exact location to head for yet - I might go down one day next week for the laying in state instead of the day of the funeral.

People will be camping out for days before the funeral to get a good spot , thousands will be there on the day. I'm near london but will.watch it from the comfort of my sofa

I’m in London but I’m planning to only go to see the lying in state as you will get to file past the coffin. I went to Diana’s funeral but hardly saw anything. So I will stay home to watch the funeral on tv.

Is there someone you could go with if you haven't been before?
I think shops will be open as per other bank hols.

Westminster Abbey is an easy walk from Waterloo, but it's unlikely you'll get anywhere near it. I'd suggest heading for the Mall instead.

Why will you have to be here for ten hours? That's going to be very tiring and even worse if the weather is dreadful; even allowing for there being plenty of places to eat, public toilets and so on I can't imagine just standing around for that length of time would be much fun? Are you coming by yourself?

You don't sound like a 'wet wipe' but, you hate crowds and get lost easily. I wouldn't. I imagine that you're caught up in the excitement/melee feeling and you don't want to miss out. The reality of people on the day may make you regret your decision.

Know though that you can pay respects however you want and wherever you are - and as for being 'part of history', you're already that being alive in this time, there's no historical extra date-stamp for those who go up to London to stand in a crowd.

Best wishes, whatever you decide.

It sounds as if it's something you really want to do, so you must.

I don't think anyone can say whether you'll be close enough to see anything but yes it will be busy and crowded, but with people feeling just as you do - go rather than regret it afterwards if you don't.

I wondered if they might relay the funeral to screens in parks around London. Hyde park maybe? That would make sense to me but I don't know if that is something they might do.

I think you should go for it. The worst that can happen is that you won’t see the royal carriages and you might have to use a portaloo. You’ll still have a day of seeing bits of London that you haven’t seen before at a time that will make it very memorable.

You can’t go too far wrong, there will be plenty of people willing to help you and presumably you have a phone.

From what I can work there won't be the same procession like there was for Diana's. AFAIK on the day of the funeral the coffin will only be moved from Westminster Hall to the Abbey which is a very short distance.

But on another day beforehand it's being moved from the palace to Westminster Hall? So perhaps that would be a better day to try and get a space on the Mall?

Unless the intent is for people to line the route from the abbey for after the service to Hyde Park Corner?

It's all walkable from Waterloo.

(Sorry if I've got the logistics wrong!)

I looked into going but can't afford to right now so will watch it on TV.

If you've got a smart phone you won't get lost just put the destination you want to go into it and follow the map.

It will be crowded, there's not much you can do about that and people with the 'best' places will have camped out.

Go for it if it’s something you’d like to do. I’d like to, but my kids are a bit young to go up for the day without it being a load of stress!

I popped in to Green Park today and it was madness. Thousands of people trying to get close to Buckingham Palace, very little crowd management, random bottlenecks etc. I don't live far away from the centre but will now be avoiding it until it's all over.

I did wonder this.

Thanks for not saying I'm daft. Trains from my station mean only certain times and I'd need to get in before 9 if the funeral is at 11.

I’ll be going as I don’t live far but I don’t know if you’ll get close enough to see anything, but you’ll be there soaking up the atmosphere and moment in history. Sometimes the royal parks put big screens up, they haven’t announced anything like that yet. I intend to go and see her lying in state too, I’m prepared for a long wait

I think watch it on TV and then conquer your fears and have a lovely mini break in London when everything is open again.

Trafalgar Square usually gets the big screens out if a large public event is happening, and isn't too far from the proceedings (or from Waterloo). I imagine they'll release more information during the week as lots of people will want to make plans.

I'm sure I read somewhere that there would be a procession down the Mall after the funeral service before the hearse travels to Windsor Castle, but I can't find it now so I have nothing to back that up. I'm also planning to walk over for the lying in state at Westminster Hall, but as far as the funeral is concerned I really haven't decided yet.

I think they will. They have for other occasions - I went to Hyde park for William’s wedding. But of course this is different. Will wait and see what arrangements there are, if there’s a route to line etc. I might just see her lying in state otherwise as it will be manic

Waterloo is one stop on the Jubilee line and the exit is 2 minutes from Westminster Abbey - but it'll be rammed and you won't see much at all. It's the last place to go if you hate crowds.

The BBC has published a plan of what will happen day by day.

This was my experience as well and I was only trying to get to Victoria after the Victoria Line wasn't stopping at Green Park. No signage at all, either outside the Tube station or in the park.

DD wants to go with her friends from Rangers (they are all 17). I’ve suggested she heads for one of the parks and takes a groundsheet to sit on. She’ll get the train into Victoria as it’s not far to walk to Green Park from there.

I’m involved with Operation London Bridge. There will be millions of people. They will be camping on the streets across 7 miles of pavements and parklands. You won’t be able to pop there on the day.

They will. And in other places too.

Queues will be unlike anything before. Honestly.