A Sea of Flowers

I decided yesterday to lay some flowers for the Queen at Sandringham first thing this morning. I arrived at the gates about 8:15 having eventually worked my way around the one-way road system the Police had put in place to get to the car park. It was well organised, with wheelchairs available for those who would have found the walk too onerous and toilets open despite the house and cafe being closed during this period of mourning. It was a shame so many people had left their flowers in cellophane, I know in the London parks volunteers are removing the cellophane to just leave the flowers, which will eventually be composted. I've added a collage as an Extra. 

It was a very moving experience, not just witnessing that sea of thousands of flowers, but also their almost overpowering aroma. All flowers seemed to have a message, and whilst some were short and some were long, I think all I read including the words 'thank you'. There were also some Paddington Bears and some flags. There were only about a dozen people there at any one time during the half hour I was there and all were very respectful, speaking in hushed tones. I was glad I had somewhere local I could go to pay my respects and also say my own 'thank you'.