Queue for the Queen: A tiring, emotional, mentally and physically exhausting 14 hour journey for a moment I will never forget

That moment was when I stopped in Westminster Hall, turned to my left to face the Queen’s coffin on the catafalque and bowed my head. It was my final goodbye to someone who had been present my whole life, had led us through glorious and difficult times - and someone who had been a staple of my Christmas Day itinerary from since I can remember.

I have never been a staunch Royalist but I felt queueing to see Queen Elizabeth II lying in state was something I should do.

My wife Amanda wanted to go and so did my son Noah - so Friday night we decided to go. Earlier that afternoon, entry to the queue was paused as it reached capacity. That did not put us off.

As we set off on the 10.21pm train from Horley to London Bridge, we knew the queue time was dropping and when we arrived it was estimated at 19.5 hours. A daunting prospect. And after a brisk 25 minute walk to Southwark Park - where people queued to get into the ‘queue proper’ - we were enthused by a sign on entry that said it would be 14 hours from this point.

At that stage we were given a free blanket as well - that made us less enthused about the cold night ahead for us. In Southwark Park there was a great atmosphere of expectation as we entered Zone 3 where everyone gathered before being held in a big group. At this point there was no order and people were jostling for position.

Then in Zone 2, it became more of an orderly queue. And this was a few rows of ‘up and downs’ that lead to Zone 3, which was row upon row of ‘up and down’ and watching the rows ahead of you moving with hundreds of heads going one way and hundreds more going the other, it was quite discombobulating but a sight to behold.

We chatted to two lovely ladies - one who had met her husband in Gossops Green and had since moved to Inverness to run a tearoom and gift shop in the village of Drumnadrochit, which sits next to Loch Ness.

It was great to have that companionship as you queued and it made the two and a half hours we were in Southwark Park seem quicker than it was.

As we left the park and entered Cathay Street, we were given our wristbands and that felt like a big moment. And as we hit The Angel pub on the bank of the River Thames we turned our heads and had that Jurassic Park moment. Just like when Sam Neill looked in disbelief at the Brachiosaurus for the first time, seeing the Tower Bridge adorned in purple lighting was a real moment and lifted us ready for the next part of the journey.

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