Thatcher

I may well do so Frank

Are you Hunterf ?

I would have gone if I had still been living in London.

If it had been the funeral of a member of the Royal Family I would have joined the protesters.

Frank

It will be interesting, a historic moment.

The Thatcher era was very good. One of the fairest things she ever did was to introduce the community charge ( known as the poll tax ).
Instead of changing it they should have deducted the money from peoples salary or benefits.

Frank

I'm not but I'm helping to pay for 4,000 policeman to be there.

Apparently the pigeon mourners are gathering in force outside St Paul's.

I won't be watching what we're all paying for!

Long walk and a nice pub meal for DH and me.

I don't think it was a wise decision to have such a funeral,the arrangements for which began under the last government,I believe. I shall watch it on TV.
However I don't have the slightest interest in football.

"In the season 2007–08 it is estimated that the policing of 13 Premier League football clubs cost the police £3.2 million in consequential policing."

Poll tax fair? Frank! What planet do you live on?

I am not sure why she is having a state funeral. We are on holiday and missed most of the coverage thank goodness.

Churchill took people through the war and was well thought of by most people. Why her and not any other PM?

I certainly won't be, and the tv will be off as usual.. couldn't even get a decent news broadcast this morning without Maggie's name mentioned every 5 seconds... I just hope it goes off without any bad behaviour or worse!

I will watch it, I am in London but won't be lining the streets. From what I have heard I think there are more police out than spectators..

I think it is possible that there will be pockets of disorder so I wouldn't want to be on the streets anyway.

We won't turn the TV on today.

I will probably tune in to see the Queen. Always like to see the Queen.

And some of the other guests as well actually. Will be interesting.

And I like hymns.

Did anyone else notice that when Charley Staithes (?) talked to Terry Wogan he said "wedding" instead of "funeral" and kept referring to the "guests" and not "mourners". It is just another three ringed circus!

I am not a big fan of Thatcher but if her family wanted her funeral to be treated with respect they should have insisted on a family funeral where she could be mourned by those who really cared about her. This big expensive hoohaa means that there will be no room for them to mourn the person she was, only the controversial politician. What family would want that for their mother? How sad.

They have some good ones coming today jo all chosen by MT.

annodomini

The community charge was the most fair tax to be introduced.
People use resources not houses.

Frank

I do however agree that the state should not pay for anybody's funeral.
Unfortunately there will have to be security at Margaret Thatcher's funeral to protect the people who are around London if they are watching the funeral or not and the tax payer will have to pay for this,
I have no objection to peaceful protesters but if they commit offences they should be punished and made to pay towards the security.

Frank

The horses don't seem happy with the slow pace of the gun carriage.

I woke up to the radio going on and on about the funeral; changed stations, same thing. However, Classic FM provided a welcome refuge. TV - Charlie Staite (?) looked a 'proper sight' - evidently hadn't been to the make-up room and he seemed to be wearing someone else's suit.

No!

Silently doing some work and popping onto GN!

It would be hypocritical for me to pay respects to someone I did not respect. Let those that did do so.

Apparently she did not want a memorial service. That would have allowed her family and personal friends to chance to have a meaningful goodbye to a mother, gran and friend in a more intimate funeral service with the 'hoohaa' of all the 'dignitatries' at a more public memorial service later.