Saturday, January 31, 2015
On 30th January 1965, Winston Churchill's state funeral took place. I missed it by a few weeks, so it was great to be able to catch up yesterday when the BBC re-broadcast their entire outside broadcast. The first 25 minutes, narrated by Richard Dimbleby, provide a fascinating overview of the funeral route and of the cold dark lowrise city as London once was.
Fifty years on, the boat on which Churchill's coffin was carried repeated its journey from the Tower to Westminster.
The Havengore, a small craft, ferried several dignitaries and members of the family through the chill air. It manoeuvred beneath Thames bridges to draw up opposite the Houses of Parliament, where large crowds of politicians and other staff had gathered to watch, and to follow the service of remembrance from the banks.
From Westminster Bridge nothing could be heard, as a wreath was thrown into the water and the Havengore returned downstream, its commemorative journey complete. We have not seen its like again.
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