I would like to thank Scotland, GB/UK & BBC for reminding us how adults conduct themselves

[Hestia]

in public.

Not that I have a reverence with the monarchy in a country I've never stepped foot in, but this past year or so PBS air a series - A Year in the Life of the Monarch (I believe it was a UK doc series) and you saw the hours the Queen worked behind the scenes on behalf of her country and she was not tone-deaf about issues concerning the Commonwealth Countries (BBC showed that the countries expanded from 9 to 264 during her reign, with more countries asking to join but only those who want to leave get the minions with mics and only their point of view).

I believe the amount of apprenticeships from CW countries exploded to over 3,000 in Buckingham Palace and other UK Historic Homes (monarchy does not own Windsor, Buckingham, etc., those are considered Historic Houses and Lucy Worsley via PBS, as former curator for the Historic Houses the London area, takes a person behind the scenes in these homes in a series of doc, which was easier for her to do during covid lock-downs and there were no tourists to work around.

Anyway, during the doc series, they talked to these interns and what a wonderful opportunity* they were selected for, because it is considered a real resume' builder on whatever career path they took at the end of their apprenticeship - hospitality, horseman/woman in the stables, park rangers working at the conservatives she set up, etc. (it's a looong list) and how their worlds were expanded now and in future due to these opportunities that were/are not available in their home countries

--

Now, back to OP - this summer I accidently found BBC World on Directv (yes, I stupidly still play for viewing but there is so much aired in the upper channels that you can't stream, even if you pay) when I input the wrong channel and landed on BBC-W and watched their Real News, with very few commercials, about is happening outside of our borders and to see calm, cool, collected news and interviews. How refreshing to NOT see Cult45's leader 24/7, if it is newsworthy, BBC-W airs maybe 20 secs of him/them per day. He is is NOT the world's news driver, plus you can how our MSM has moved from Ukraine, whereas BBC-W devotes a large segment of their news to ongoing news about how Ukraine is doing. They've also aired a large portion to the floods in Pakistan, where as we get nothing - all TGF all the time.

As a result of DTV, I keep my home channel on BBC-W, because "cable boxes" aggregate what you watch and keep as your "home channel," so I keep my box on that channel.

Which brings me to my real OP - I've been busy doing other things while BBC-W plays in the background and BBC did say earlier in the year that if the Queen should die, their programming would automatically be geared towards her and her life for 10 days - the time for her funeral processions/corteges' had already been set for years as she aged.

A very large portion of the BBC-W & the funeral of the Queen has been devoted to the people waiting - they almost all stated that this is history in the making, especially those with younger children, who wanted to be a very small part of it and to say their goodbye.

The solemnity of the Scottish people of simply standing there waiting to see the cortege' as it passed through their home towns - even BBC commentators made note of it - no pushing, no guns, no stabbings, chairs set out for the elderly and infirm) - quietly standing there, hope to catch sight of her coffin (which makes her death real) and to catch sight of the new King. There haven't been any walk-about's in Scotland that I've seen.

Even in London it has been the same. The most beautiful part of it all is the laying of bouquets and flower designers from all over Southern England, who have taken the bouquets to (they are collected from the BP fence each evening) (I think it's called) Green Park (which I also think is not open to the public all the time) and have reverently flora-sculpted the bouquets into beautiful displays. The people, who had to wait in line, solemnly walking the Garden to see how the people's offering of grief has been changed into something beautiful. It's more like a meditation garden than memorial or bereavement garden. It has been stated that the Park and displays could be made into a book unto it's own self. (BP has to be self-generating on the upkeep of the Palace, and I do think a book like this will help. I know I'll buy it, down in this backwater state/town.)

Unfortunately, a large group of volunteers have been pressed into service to take the floral wraps off the bouquets because they are not compostable especially the plastic paper and wraps. They are asking the people to take the wrappers off before they lay them at the fence, along with no more stuffed toys, jars of marmalade, or books. The Park is trying to make the area as sustainable as possible because they plan on taking the flowers that have faded and composting them and sending the compost to all of the National Parks in UK/GB, so they all may share in the tributes. (Something to think about here, in any future floral tributes.)

So, again, thank you for reminding the world how adults (and properly trained children**) conduct themselves in a public setting. A lot of people, before the edict, dressed for a funeral. That this is not about them personally, but about them as a country as a whole. Best foot forward and all.

Thank you from the US...

*A quote attributed to Susan B Anthony (though I haven't been able to confirm or deny) --

Luck is when Preparation and Opportunity collide.

i.e., Life is what you make of it...

**It seems that children are trained from about age 4 on not to be a disruption, especially in class. They politely stood there as the minions with mic's talked to their parents, not interrupting or jumping up and down, screaming and shouting, flailing their arms around. The teenagers have really been impressive - so articulate in their discussions on if and when they met the Queen, and what she personally meant to them. They were able to have a discussion better than most adults over here.

[ChazII]

1. K&R n/t

[hlthe2b]

2. Seeing those crowds has been revealing in so many ways--again regardless of feelings for monarchy

Yes, articulate, polite, personable and impressive.

But I have to finally say this, no matter who it offends, I've been overwhelmed at how neatly dressed (not necessarily overly stylish or elegant or formally dressed) but so neatly and appropriately dressed these crowds--all of them, not merely those likely to catch a tv camera. No baseball caps, flip flops, and other sloppy or boorish clothing that seems to have become the 24/7 dress for Americans (admittedly including myself--well, except for the flip flops and certainly not in the workplace). Honestly, I know that we've become increasingly more slovenly as a people on the whole in recent decades, but just seeing these comparative crowds, it really hits home.

Yes. It has been interesting and a bit depressing-- beyond the loss of their Queen and what that means to the Brits.

[obamanut2012]

3. Well, that's not true

Plenty of the mourners have been dressed in tshirts, football jerseys, jeans, shorts, caps, etc. And, they are obviously not AMERICANS.

[hlthe2b]

6. While I haven't seen what you have, how do you know they are " obviously not Americans"

[hlthe2b]

8. You won't defend your assertion?

Having spent a small bit of time since seeing your response watching some crowd coverage from BBC, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, and now CNN, I stand by my point. The Brits overwhelmingly are not slovenly nor overly casually dressed. I find that a level of respect-- for any event-- that is no longer--or exceedingly rarely--seen in the US. And to the point, I have YET to see a single ball cap. Warm hats in Scotland, yes, but not casual sports caps. On the occasion that I've seen an American tourist interviewed, they too were neatly and far less casually dressed for typical tourists, so perhaps our British counterparts are having a little positive influence on us in that respect as well.

[Bayard]

5. I agree

Overall, we've become a nation of slobs. Sometimes, I just can't believe what people go out in public wearing. Just walk around Walmart sometime.

I think its a matter of respect. Respect for other people, self-respect, and in this case, respect by the people for their Queen.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

4. They designate a group of people as their superiors and bow before them.

There's a price to pay for that. If you speak out against one of your "superiors," you're arrested.

Tue Sep 13, 2022: Where there's no 1A:

I don't watch the BBC regularly, but it sounds as if it is presenting a dreamy, one-sided account. Not everyone is lives that idyllic television life.

In every last country from which the British were ousted as rulers, the citizens of that country set off fireworks on the anniversary of the occasion.

We made the correct decision 246 years ago.

[cksmithy]

7. I agree with you completely.

We took our once of a life time trip to France, Scotland, and England in 2010. The children, teenagers were all so polite. I pay way to much so I can get the BBC World News station, 24/7. I also stream Sky News on my Roku, they have the best Ukraine coverage, no speculation, just facts when reporting the news. They also have opinion guests/speakers, but the interviewers also push back and ask more questions, when they are just getting party line talking points. I actually like Sky News better than the BBC, but I watch them both. I read/check the BBC News website everyday. On our 3 week long trip, we never saw any toddlers or preschoolers acting out at restaurants.