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Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 393 – Of Queues and the British

18 Sep 2022 26 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Queue, Spidey's Serene Sundays

“An Englishman, even if he is alone, forms an ordely queue of one.”
George Mikes

Thank you, Spidey, for a little humour at this sombre time.

I think that if you have social media or access to a news channel or the internet, wherever you are on this planet, you will have heard of ‘The Queue’ or the ‘QueueEII’ (Not coined by me, but rather clever, don’t you think?)

The queue I am referring to is the queue all self-respecting Brits have been in training for all their lives.

It’s the queue that has stretched for 5 miles across London for those well-wishers who want to pay their respects to the late Queen, who is lying in state at Westminster Palace until before the funeral tomorrow.

People, including David Beckham (not one to push ahead, but wanting to pay his respects the way everyone who wishes to, should) are queueing for up to 17 hours, slowly walking at 0.1 miles an hour, shuffling towards the Palace, where they get a chance to personally pay their respects to our late Monarch.

It is the Queue of all queues. You get a wristband, you can’t save a place for others, there are toilets and water stations open along the way. If you wish to join, you are advised to bring food, drinks and blankets, and even stools to aid your wait. (Stops short at tents. No TENTS allowed!)

The Queue has its own YouTube channel and Twitter account and even its own weather mention!

It is a queue that has shown the most British of Britishness, where new friends are being made, and the general atmosphere is one of respect, and knowing they are part of a huge piece of modern British History in the making.

Some say the queue will be responsible for bringing Britain out of Brexit, and a part of the European Union again, as it stretches so far that France sees the latest to join the queue as it snakes onto their turf… (a little joke I read somewhere on Twitter!)

There was an accessible queue too, but that has now closed for any new joiners.

But, what an amazing show of respect from the people, not only of Britain but others who have come from other parts of the world, to do the same.

Charlie King 3, as one of my newest Reception students, told me he was called (I love it, King Charles the Third will always be Charlie King 3 to me from now on!) and the new Prince of Wales even came out to meet some of those at the front of the queue who had been there slowly moving all night, and they marvelled at the stoicism and will of those there, remarking that, had she witnessed it, the Queen would have truly appreciated this outpouring of love because that is exactly what it is.

Alas, I am not able to be a part of this queue, but I have all the channels on which to watch it happen in live action… And I will watch the emotional send-off, tomorrow, on TV at home.

So, are you good at queueing, or have you been a part of this historic Queue?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!

#SoCS Sept. 17, 2022 – Ring

17 Sep 2022 13 Comments

by Ritu in #SoCS Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Linda G Hill, Socs

Linda’s SoCS prompt.

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ring.” Use it as a noun or a verb. Bonus points if you use it as both. Have fun!

"She's not home, yet, I'll give her a ring."
Voicemail left, then I hear a ping
Phone left here on the bedside table

And then I spy the glint of a ring
My heart contracts, I feel the sting
Head spinning, I sit, unstable

Under the ring a crumpled note
'Dear John,' her unsteady hand wrote
'I'm sorry it had to come to this

By now, I realise you'll know
And so I think it's time to go
without that fabled one last kiss

She told me in my dreams last night
She'd take me before last light
I couldn't let you see

My body's broken, my mind a mess
Yet you never loved me less
I hope you forgive me

Goodbye my love, know I'm at peace
No more pain, no more meds increase
This thing, it has not won

Instead, it's me, gone at my will
Even though my eyes, they fill
Tears, I choose to shun

...

Ritu 2022


I must say, I have no idea where this came from...

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Sept. 17, 2022

One-Liner Wednesday – Hormones!

14 Sep 2022 30 Comments

by Ritu in #onelinerwednesday Tags: #1linerweds, #onelinerwednesday, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Hormones

“God grant me the strength to deal with teenage hormones on top of my own middle-aged ones!.”
Ritu Bhathal

For Linda’s #1LinerWeds

Chai And A Chat #203 #ChaiAndAChat

12 Sep 2022 39 Comments

by Ritu in Chai and a Chat Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Catch Up, Chai and a Chat

Morning, Peeps. It’s Monday again, and I am feeling a tad sombre.

Have you got your drink?

If we were having chai, I’d say that school went relatively smoothly. For the first week, we had our children in class. They only stayed until 12pm, before lunch, but it was a good time to be able to get to know the children and for them to become familiar with the adults they would be working with and some of our rules and routines that they would come to see as second nature soon enough. There was a bit of upheaval as we had a couple of staff shortages, meaning we needed to juggle our teams around, but we managed!
If we were having chai, I’d say that Thursday was a tough day for us all as we learned of the death of the Queen. It affected me more than I thought it would, but what made it even harder was that I also lost my great aunt that same evening. I’d like to think that they board the same flight up to wherever to be with their husbands who will be waiting for them.

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If we were having chai, I would tell you that the tiredness is ever present I have found a new app that helps log menopause symptoms and when we are experiencing them, which I can compile into a report for whenever I need to see the doctor. That will be helpful. I don’t want to rush down the HRT route unless I have to, but I am definitely beginning to understand my body better.
If we were having chai, I’d tell you that reading was slow, expectedly, but I managed a couple of books over the week. Unfortunately, I had no energy for the editing I really need to do, so I may need to focus on that more these coming weeks!

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If we were having chai, I would end, as always, with Sonu Singh. He’s had Hubby Dearest for company, all week, and we have been here during the weekend. I think he could feel I was down because I’ve had a lot of snuggles from him over the last few days, bless him.

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This week, we will be having lunch with our classes, but they leave just after 1.30pm, so we have time to recoup, as we have lunch with them, too! A few appointments to go to, as well as a possible meeting with the Society of Authors local group, though I am not sure I will make it, with everytiing else going on in life! The weekend is ours since cricket is 100% finished for the season, but let’s see what it brings.

And while you’re here, did you sign up for my mailing list? I am in the middle of writing an exclusive Chickpea Curry Lit story for my subscribers, and there will be news, tips and even recipes! You know you want to join… go on! Click the pic below to sign up!

Spidey’s Serene Sunday – Part 392 – Traditions

11 Sep 2022 24 Comments

by Ritu in Spidey's Serene Sundays, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Traditions

“It takes a tremendous amount of history to make even a little history.”
Henry James

Thank you, Spidey, for an apt quote.

So, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that the Queen passed away, peacefully on Thursday.

A huge amount of sadness.

A country in mourning.

A family in mourning.

Yet there are still things that have to be done.

From the moment a monarch is crowned, the plan for their death is written. (Feels a bit morbid, to me, but I suppose, in order to allow everything to run smoothly, it’s a necessity.)

“London Bridge is down.” is quoted, and the wheels are put in motion.

The Royal family, government, broadcasters of the news, are all informed, in order to share the sad news.

And, while we are all mourning, there is the small job of ensuring the country is not without a monarch, so the rightful heir is proclaimed.

For most of the country, we have never experienced this, before. The Queen had been the longest reigning monarch in the UK, ever.

Seventy years, she has been in our lives, and suddenly, she was gone, leaving her eldest son, Charles, as the man to bear the weight and responsibility of being the new King of the UK, and head of The Commonwealth.

As tradition states, all the customs needed to be fulfilled to confirm his new role, so on Saturday, amid the sadness, we as a nation, and the world, watched, either by standing in crowds in London, or on TV and the internet, the accession to the throne of the new King Charles III.

A momentous event that has never before been witnessed by the public, took place at St. James Palace, where the Privy Council held a meeting and declared our new monarch the King.

Then, the public declarations began, and the firing of guns, to signal the same, began.

It was fascinating to watch an official tradition take place. Something that was done, for centuries, behind closed doors.

But, can I tell you what hit me, personally?

Seeing the blanket of sadness over the new King, and his son, Prince William, the new Prince of Wales.

It’s often easy to forget that even though they have these tremendous duties to uphold, they are still human, too.

We’ve lost a Queen.

They’ve lost a beloved mother, frandmother, great grandmother. Yet they have to fight that emotion, in order to take part in all the pomp and circumstance involved in the new monarch’s accession to the throne.

For a day, flags are flown at full mast, to celebrate the new King, before being lowered again, in respect.

I only hope that everytime they close their doors to the public eye, they are able to mourn as we would. As a family, united in grief.

It was heartwarming to listen to, or read, some of the tributes to our late Queen, by members of her family.

And though heartbreaking to witness, seeing certain members overcome by their emotions in public, whilst reading tributes left by the public made me think that hopefully certain traditions and expectations would bend slightly, now, to allow the Royal family to be viewed as human first, and Royal second.

So, how do you view traditions?

Wishing you a wonderfully peaceful Sunday, Peeps!