CAROL Swiecicka from Newton Abbot Travel Club quickly arranged a trip to London by train for some of the group to pay their respects to the late Queen.

The club was away when the sad news was broken on the previous Thursday as they got off the boat from Henley to make their way to Reading and on their return, a day trip to London was put together to take a small group to London to pay their respects and visit Green Park to see and lay floral tributes.

As the roads in the centre were closed, the group joined the hundreds of others in watching the coffin procession on the big screens in Hyde Park where the carriage guns were also being fired. One of the group was interviewed by a Canadian television station.

After the group walked to Green Park to lay their floral tributes and see the others that had been left. Carol said: ‘It was an emotional experience which will always be remembered.

‘The club members are great supporters of the monarchy, and have attended many events for Jubilees, Queen’s birthday and only in May nearly 100 attended the Jubilee Pageant at Windsor.

Carol added: ‘I think we felt we needed to go to pay our respects to the Queen, almost a sense of duty as the duty she had done during her life and unselfishly throughout her reign it seemed the least we could do to try and express our thanks.

‘She was someone who we knew was frail but still in a way thought she would live forever and she will in spirit & our thoughts. The world would be a better place if only there were only more like her.’

Among the pictures are some of the group, floral tributes and a Paddington Bear tribute at Green Park.