"The wedding"

We got up early, set the alarm for 7am, and were on the tube by 8, heading for Charing Cross, the tube was quiet and there didn't even seem to be many people at Charing Cross, a few, flag wavers, but nothing much. We came up out of the warren and there were people. People and people in fact.......

 On the underground, Hilary warming Di's hands.

                                       Wellington Arch, people trying to get through to The Mall

An interesting door handle

A great rabbit statue

We got given flags by one of the newspapers, this is beside Trafalgar Square.

Mounted policeman at Trafalgar Square

We tried to negotiate our way through to the Mall but after trying on the left side first we were directed around to the other side as the police had it fenced off for crowd control. We had to walk all the way around Trafalgar Square and through back streets, we got to some steps but the crowd was so thick at the front even with the advantage of height you couldn't see anything of the road or therefore any of the parade. We decided to headback to Traflgar Square where at least there was a big screen we could watchand a very boisterous patriotic crowd. Though it was like watching a large t.v. the experience of being in the crowd, with singing, cheering, confetti machines and general enjoyment and good natured celebration was worthwhile. The security guards were a bit flustered at times and kept changing the rules about where you could and couldn't be, but they were dealing with huge crowds so it was hardly surprising some nerves were a little frayed. They estimated close to a million people on the streets watching... it doesn't surpriseme, I'd never experienced anything like it.

               Some of the crowd at Trafalgar Square watching the big screen,from the steps of the National     Gallery

William and Harry on the big screen

Us at Trafalgar Square

After the service we went and sheltered in the National gallery for a while while we waited for the roads to be opened. The Mall was still blocked off to further pedestrians and the bobbies said they wouldn'tbe opening the fences for quite a while.

Illicit photo inside The National Gallery

I was keen to get down to The Mall as soon as we could because I wanted to see the "Fly over". We managed it with a few minutes to spare, just happened to be in the right place at the right time when they opened up a wee gap in the fencing.

World War II planes low flying down The Mall. I got video of the modern planes but can't put video on here.

Us in The Mall

The crowds in The Mall

One of many sets of patriotic Brits

We negotiated the crowds and fencing and managed to get ourselves down to Westminster Abbey and environs as the crowds were dissipating.

Nelson Mandela statue outside Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey, with bells peeling

We walked back across Westminster Bridge to the Waterloo underground and caught the train back to Finchley. Yvonne and her neighbours were having a street party so we joined the end of that before dinner and bed. I waited for the fox, but he outsmarted me, arriving only after I had given up. I kept falling asleep sitting up in the dark, waiting. After an hour I gave up, he must have slipped in quietly later because this morning all the food was gone again.
How sad to be beaten by a fox!