Palace requests mourners to stop leaving stuff like marmalade sandwiches

[Sparklybutold]

So the palace has now told people to stop leaving marmalade sarnies and such...

Those who thought it was ok the first time still think it's ok? Or now the palace acknowledges how ‘unsustainable’ it is change your opinion?

FWIW. It was idiotic the first time and still is.

*Why are Londoners expected to put up with this - essentially people coming in to central London and leaving flowers, marmalade or whatever shite they feel like because ‘it’s for the queen” or because they want to ‘be part of history” in some minuscule way. Not to mention the burden this places on London’s transport, policing, etc

I’m going to remember this thread and bring it up next time someone from Cornwall, Norfolk or similar complains about the hordes of Londoners coming to their part of the country on holiday and leaving their rubbish.*

And the Lying in State and the Funeral and then the Coronation! Think of the burdens on the transport, policing. Fancy all those little people from the provinces wanting to be part of it!

You know what - tough s*. Could you sound more up yourself?

And littering rubbish on holiday is absolutely not the same as leaving flowers as act of mourning in a designated spot. God alive.

I don’t know but I’m up North well away from where any marmalade left would be donated to. I really like the idea of buying some marmalade and jam for my local food bank tomorrow.

I find it strange that people want to spend so much collectively on flowers. It’s totally up to them of course, but I think in more practical terms and would rather do something more useful.

@Sparklybutold I take it you're not a royalist from your post?

We don't just 'eat food to live'.It isn't as basic as that or we wouldn't choose to eat meat, choose to eat more at Christmas, choose to eat foreign foods brought many food miles. But most of us do. The eco impact of that is as much of a choice as our death rituals.

I don't think that's properly comparing like with like, though. It's not so much making a more profligate/luxury choice than the basic essential one, but pure pointless wastage. Cut flowers are not essential and have an environmental cost; but many people enjoy looking at them and having a bunch in a vase at home for a few days - and I completely get this popular choice; whereas this is just immediately stacking them up in a pile where they will be buried by somebody else's in a few minutes' time and leaving them.

Yes, most households will spend more money and damage the environment more with their choices of Christmas food and drink, but they don't buy 20 households' worth of luxury comestibles; nor do they just leave what they do buy outside the back door to forget about and leave to rot.

@Ifrozethehoumous That was to me,wasn't it? Because you asked where all the flowers were coming from and I told you they mainly come from Kenya along with lots of other fruit and vegetables that you and me and most other people in the UK consume. So how does that clarify whatever point it is you're struggling to make?

Where do you think your coffee comes from? Kenya or other east African countries. Or West Africa or Central or South America. It depends what beans you like but there are going to be a lot of air miles. You are just as culpable as me or any of the people laying flowers for the Queen. The difference is that you don't know that and appear to think coffee grows in England.

@Lulusays do you know what the word "literally" means? Would you like me to explain it to you?. Probably not but I'm going to. It means exactly as it should happen.

You said people should donate to charity rather than buying flowers because that's exactly what you wanted to happen. You didn't explain why or specify any charities even though I asked you. Why do you think you have the right to tell other people what to do especially when you don't know anything about them?

Even more outrageous is that when I told you I live 10 minutes from Buckingham Palace and described the situation as entirely manageable you said that I just have a different opinion to you and that lots of people agree with you. How breathtaking is your arrogance? I would not dream of telling you what it was like on your doorstep so why do you think you should tell me?

I don't share your faith that the Queen and The Firm as you call it were or are deeply tied to good causes. I know they are committed to saving tax but that's not the same thing.

I'm not a Monarchist but I do think that the little people, and that includes me, should be allowed to do what we want to do within reason and the law. And if that means laying a bunch of chrysanths at the gates of Buckingham Palace because it will piss off mealy mouthed sneerers who think they somehow know better then I'm going to get down the petrol station first thing. I will take the cellophane off and dispose of it responsibly. I have no idea where it's going to go from there. If you know the best way to dispose of plastic waste which I guess you also use then do tell.

From Twitter:

"The whole Paddington thing is what happens when you once mention to a relative that you like ladybirds so get ladybird themed presents for the rest of time - but for a whole country"
twitter.com/salvey1/status/1569258130323685381

Yes, most households will spend more money and damage the environment more with their choices of Christmas food and drink, but they don't buy 20 households' worth of luxury comestibles; nor do they just leave what they do buy outside the back door to forget about and leave to rot.

Each floral tribute is left by one person. They arrive one by one. No one person is bringing ALL the flowers just as you wouldn't have to buy 20 trolleys at Christmas to damage the environment a bit more.

They are being left in a significant place as a death ritual. All flowers will rot. It is so different to being left outside the back door to rot.

I find the eco argument pretty lame as I think there is so much more going on every single day, by everyone of us, that has a worse impact than the leaving of these flowers, that will eventually be mulched for fertiliser.

Death rituals are important to people. That is what people are choosing to spend their money on. On this thread those people are brainless, performative, tasteless, death tourists but nevertheless they're important to them.

So the idea that this is "a pointless " thing to do is very much about how you personally view the laying of flowers. For many it is hugely significant . And those vast piles of flowers which are not just in London, actually mean something.

Excellent idea. No rotting flowers wrapped in plastic but tins of food, dry goods, flour, rice etc.
Now that would be a proper and useful tribute .

I wonder what percentage of those that left flowers /sandwiches/toys would have donated to charity if that's what the palace suggested?

I honestly think very few. Donating to charity doesn’t provide the required experience probably.

I wonder what percentage of those that left flowers /sandwiches/toys would have donated to charity if that's what the palace suggested?

If it had been suggested? Well if Captain Tom and Deborah James has shown anything, a huge percentage.

Errr …. yes, I was replying to your first response. I’m not even going to bother to reply to your second one due to it being so obscure - except to say one thing: don’t make assumptions about other peoples’ geographical knowledge or actions…..

Never seen so much media manipulation of people THEY should be ashamed of themselves.. BBC firmly switched off.

While I understand the sentiment of flowers, it's always seemed a sad (& in the case of a persons death, ironic) thing to do to hack down a living thing only to then leave it to wither and die!? Not to mention the litter it causes. Would make more sense to plant something somewhere for it to 'live on' in someone's memory. In this case, wouldn't it be better to make a donation to the Queen's many charities, or Corgi rescue (if such a thing) or similar? Rather than line the pockets of sellers.

Personally I think donations for charity or tins for foodbanks a better idea than flowers in plastic, general tat and sandwiches. Some people are SO STUPID, have they never heard of rats and diseases.

Why? Why not give those things directly to the foodbanks? Better still, give them the cash and let them use their considerable heft to achieve better economy and buy more with it? Why is it better for somebody else to have to load and move all this stuff? It won't be given to foodbanks, it will go to landfill.

Why must 'things' be left? Unwrapped flowers, is one thing although in that quantity they just look a pulpy mess very quickly. But, public does what public wants. There is though some wilful ignorance about waste disposal and what that looks like in reality. Paying council tax really doesn't cut it.

It's not grief though, it is wanting 'to be part of history'. Leaving sandwiches, flowers and queueing for 10 hours does not make you part of history. You're already there, we all are, we are living in this time.

As for 'paying respects', what does that even mean? The flower throwers (onto the cortege) are not paying respects, they are being attention-seeking, that's an easy one. Walking past a coffin, is no more paying respect than not doing that. My definition of paying respects is doing things for the bereaved family, not wanting to encroach on their grief and try to appropriate it.

Blanket disclaimer: People can do what they want, there's no law against it.

Those are lovely ideas!

I think I'm going to do that; light a candle and make a donation. Maybe to a food bank.

As for 'paying respects', what does that even mean? The flower throwers (onto the cortege) are not paying respects, they are being attention-seeking, that's an easy one. Walking past a coffin, is no more paying respect than not doing that. My definition of paying respects is doing things for the bereaved family, not wanting to encroach on their grief and try to appropriate it.

When dead servicemen were brought back through Royal Wooton Bassett in recent years,the shop keepers shut up shop and residents stood by to pay their respects. This is what people did in my City during Covid when they could not attend funerals. They paid their respects by standing by or showing attendance. My OH did that for a close colleague. He wasn't 'encroaching or appropriating ' grief.

What does that even mean?

It's totally fine you don't feel the same - but literally millions across the world would feel they know the meaning of that by showing attendance.

Why though?? Did they think the Paddington thing was real??!

Yes if you feel you want to do something to mark the queen's passing, give to a food bank.

have they never heard of rats and diseases I can guarantee that you sitting fairly close to rats right now.

For the record, Bonne Maman Bitter Orange Marmelade is not "the good stuff"; Frank Coopers Vintage Oxford is 😁😄 and Ocado have stopped selling it b̶a̶s̶t̶a̶r̶d̶s̶.

Marmalade in its entirety is revolting IMO 😁

you are both wrong
marmalade is excellent stuff and the best marmalade is the stuff I make