The day our world changed…
Thursday 8th September started much the same as any other Thursday, apart from we weren’t heading to work, we were heading to Devon and Cornwall for just under a fortnight’s holiday.
It didn’t start well, I woke up with the mother of all headaches and felt shaky and unsteady, with a sense of something in the air, just low blood sugar I thought but it didn’t get better after a good dose of paracetamol and breakfast. I hoped I wasn’t coming down with a bug at the start of our holidays or was it just a strong sense of foreboding?
We packed up the motorhome in between heavy showers and sunshine, timing our runs from the house, in between the worst of the showers and left around lunchtime.
We were heading to Chagford in Devon, to stay for 2 nights with our friends, Lindsay & Philip, who’ve had a house there for over 30 years, before continuing into Cornwall.
The journey consisted of moments of driving through a never-ending car wash and bright, warm sunshine but as the news on the radio started giving out announcements of the Queen’s ill health, my sense of unease grew as the miles sped past. By mid-afternoon, I said to Charlie that I wanted to be in Chagford ready to watch the 6pm news, when I’m sure an announcement that none of us wanted to hear, would be made.
Our journey was sombre as there was a growing realisation that this day had never been destined to be normal. We passed by Stonehenge, spotted a pair of Chinooks flying parallel to us, watched them until they inevitably disappeared over the horizon, only for 2 more military helicopters fly directly overhead. The tone on the radio became more sombre as the afternoon progressed.
We arrived in Chagford to meet Lindsay and Philip, who had only arrived minutes earlier and parked the motorhome in the town’s long-term car park.
Lindsay and Philip’s house was cozy and welcoming filled with family photos, lovely paintings and family heirlooms, as the house has been in the family for many, many years. The topic of the conversation was, of course, the Queen and as we turned on the BBC, a few minutes before 6, we knew, just by looking at Huw Edward’s face that the news would not be good. We speculated that they were waiting for Prince Harry to get to Balmoral before making announcement. As we all now know, the official announcement was made just after 6.30 pm.
We wandered into the village for our dinner reservation at one of the many local pubs, The Chagford Inn. Although it was busy, the mood was quiet and after a really delicious dinner, we returned to the house, we all felt exhausted.
It’s a strange feeling to feel so upset by the death of someone you had never met, seen briefly through the window of a royal car and only ever saw on TV and only seem to hear on Christmas Day or in extraordinary times. Personally I felt a seismic shift, a sense of uncertainty, a sense of loss and the realisation that pole star of our nation had flickered and died. Would King Charles III be able to relight it and keep it burning as bright?
God Save The Queen.
The Queen is dead,
Long live the King!
Rest Easy Ma’am.
RoundandAbout 