The Engineer

I read that the coffin was raised again from the Royal Vault yesterday evening (on the electric hoist), as was the coffin of Prince Phillip. Both were taken around to the King George VI Memorial Chapel (later addition to St George's Chapel, completed 1969) to join her parents and sister. All done in private.

Enjoyed the cessation of TV adverts all day. They should do that more often. Meant to catch Phil and Holly's 'fly on the wall', totally legit coverage today but forgot. As for 'who paid', maybe Charles can cash in a decent life insurance policy if She had one. Failing that, I guess it was you and I. The clue is in the title 'State' funeral.

I see Schofield and Willoughby exercised a perk of their media roles to walk through Westminster Hall without needing to queue with the 'common people' on the pretext of recording a segment to be broadcast on Tuesday. Even if arranged and sanctioned by ITV, it was an unmitigated faux pas. David Beckham, in contrast, was spot on with the mood of the nation and queued over 13 hours. Suggestions that he courted publicity were way off beam.

FAO admin: Should this thread be renamed "The King"?

My Mam trusted her natural immunity and shunned the Covid vaccine when offered last year, despite my best efforts to persuade her it was safe and highly recommended, given her age. Apparently a friend of a friend had a 'funny turn' after the jab and Mam said she didn't want to 'lose her marbles'. The inevitable happened. Mam never went out of the house but clearly someone unwittingly took the virus in. As she seccumbed last November, bedridden, on oxygen and withering, she said "I wish I'd had the vaccine now." She soldiered on until January but sadly Covid had irrepairably dam

Like Gwyneth Powell (Grange Hill's Mrs McClusky); died same day as Queen. Aged 76, complications after surgery.

It's all a bit hit and miss isn't it? Edward VII (1901-1910) - Edwardian but George V (1910-1936) and George VI (1936-1952), not Georgian (as that had been used for four previous Georges 1714-1840).

I don't think we need a name for this era. We didn't refer to the past 70 years as Elizabethan (that was 1558–1603), despite the Queen being on the throne longer than any predecessor.

Fiat 131?

@Jill Sparrow Mam said she was only there for a year. By age 15 (late 1941) she had left Radio Rentals and went to work for Avro (who had commandeered the Bainswear factory to make aircraft parts).

Small world! My Mam also worked for Radio Rentals on Friar Lane around 1940-1941 (aged 14/15) as a filing/postal clerk! She recalled the entrance being next to Toby's, above Rotheras Solicitors. She earned £1 a week. She recalled Tony Rothera, in his mid-20s, dating a girl in Radio Rentals. Mam went to night school at the old People's College (College Street) to learn shorthand typing and said another girl from Radio Rentals went there to learn to be a comptometrist.

The Britannia Inn relied heavily on patronage of Royal Mail staff. It was inevitable that it would not survive after most of RM's operations moved out of town (leaving just the City Delivery Office in the building with pale blue cladding).

The old (1898) and new (1972) Head Post Office buildings are side by side on Queen Street. The Letter Sorting Office (1939 IIRC) was between Huntingdon Street and Brook Street. After Royal Mail vacated, several floors were added on top to create an appartment block with car park below (Marco Island). However it seems to have been a constant building site ever since, certainly around the original lower floors. The Parcel Sorting Office was between Brook Street and Bath Street. When built (late 1960s), it included a bridge over Brook Street connecting it to the Letter

Apparently the Vic Centre staff have known for a few years that there was a pile of documents but didn't think to have a closer look until recently. It could so easily have been classed as 'quantity of waste paper causing fire hazard' and dumped or recycled. Luckily someone realised it was of historical value.

I recall walking the Thurland Street tunnel in a group around 2017, organised by Janine Tanner. The walks got stopped due to safety concerns - hard to get 'the powers that be' to take responsibility, even though risk is minimal and manageable (in my view). Not much to see down there - tracks are gone but there was still a layer of soot underfoot. Made a bit of a mess as we filed out back into the Vic Centre car park!