A London Send-off

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Regardless of your views on Margaret Thatcher, her funeral service at St Paul’s today – and the procession which preceded it – was a historical event involving a long-standing prime minister and London MP.

I went, got myself a good spot, and took these pictures. You can see the full set on Flickr here. I made friends and a deal with a fellow in the crowd: him film clips; me photos. His clips are on Flickr here.

Arrived on the early side. Just police and people going to work. And me. Looking down Ludgate Hill to Fleet Street.
Arrived on the early side. Just police and people going to work. And me. Looking down Ludgate Hill to Fleet Street.
Royal Marines band. Maggie admirers from Israel in attendance.
Royal Marines band. Maggie admirers from Israel in attendance.

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Bandsmen of the Welsh Guards.
Bandsmen of the Welsh Guards.
Gun carriage of King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, bearing the remains of the late PM.
Gun carriage of King’s Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, bearing the remains of the late PM.

Margaret Thatcher funeral

Much comment has been made of the magnitude and expense of this funeral on the grounds that it is unprecedented. You’ll be interested in this excellent article which tells us about prime ministers who have also had not-so-cheap public funerals: there were quite a few.

My impression of today’s proceedings that they were actually quite low key compared with my expectations; popular with the crowd; and our military on parade were spot-on as they always are.

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