“How far to the end of the queue?” we ask, having emerged from the tube, as we are now ‘sprinting’ to find the end of the queue and the marshalls. This queue seems to be growing ever further away from us!. Phew! we find them, and join the back of the queue, introducing ourselves to those in front and behind, with whom we are to travel on foot for the next few hours into the night towards Her Majesty lying in state in Westminster Hall, within the grounds of The Palace of Westminster.

After walking two to three miles back ‘towards’ Tower Bridge, we make our way down onto the Embankment path – and there the ‘man with the wristbands’ greets each one of us with a  smile, as we are given our individual number. This wristband will be checked frequently along the walk, so anyone ‘not’ wearing one, or queue jumping – will be sent to ‘the back of the queue’….!!

My number