Watching the state funeral on Monday is not compulsory, even if some public figures have claimed it should be. But anyone looking to avoid it has other options.
The bank holiday shutdown stretches from supermarkets and big retailers to leisure centres and tourist attractions. No English Heritage site will open, not even its historic churches, it confirmed last week, nor any National Trust garden or stately home.
People with a car and a full tank – many petrol stations will be shut – can escape to the countryside. National Trust car parks will be open, as are national parks and trails, and local footpaths. Ramblers can take a break at most pubs with chains such as Greene King and Whitbread, although those with TV screens are likely to be showing the funeral.
Tourist spots are shut, but plenty of the UK’s historic and picturesque churches are not, and while some are showing broadcasts of the funeral on big screens, many will simply be open for visitors. St Cwyfan’s church-in-the-sea in Anglesey, the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lullington, East Sussex, and Kilpeck Church in Herefordshire are all worth visiting, with more around the country.
If you don’t have a car, then trains and buses will be operating, strike-free, and there will even be extra services to cope with demand for travellers to London and Windsor.
Staying local with a walk in the park or a trip to the playground may be easier. And not everywhere is shut: independent shops and restaurants are more likely to be open, unable to lose a day’s business while facing rampant inflation and the spectre of winter fuel bills.
While most leisure centres will shut all day, some will open for swimmers and exercise classes, such as Putney leisure centre in London, and others will open in the afternoon, including Stechford leisure centre in Birmingham. Searching for a snooker hall, soft play centre, bowling alley or a climbing wall will also yield results in some places.
And anyone with an interest in open justice can drop into a magistrates court – although most hearings have been cancelled, some courts will open early on Monday, if they have to deal with any defendants taken into custody overnight.
There is even a smattering of live sport on television. Premier league games and county championship matches have been put back, but the cycling road world championships are live from Australia on Eurosport and cricket fans can watch five back-to-back games in the European Cricket Championships on FreeSports. And with race meetings in Fairyhouse in Meath and Listowel in Kerry, there’s always the horses.
Royalists may have little sympathy for republicans who choose not to mourn the Queen’s death, but families with small children may not have the stamina to watch the BBC’s nine-hour uninterrupted broadcast, or the slightly shorter coverage on every ITV and Sky channel.
And people suffering the bereavement of a close relative, or those caring for someone with a serious illness, may find themselves unable to cope with the public spectacle.
Stephen Buckley, head of information at Mind, the mental health charity, said many people reacted differently to the Queen’s death:
“However you’re feeling about the news and the broadcast of the funeral, it’s OK to feel that way. It is perfectly OK to take whatever measures you find help you feel safe and well, whether that be only choosing specific times to look at the news, or opting out of viewing media coverage altogether. The most important thing is that you do what helps your wellbeing.”
