A GROUP of rowers from Deganwy helped pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II by taking part in a memorial procession on the River Thames following her death.
A total of 18 members of Conway Yacht Club rowed three boats between them, out of 177 along the Thames on Saturday, September 10.
Originally planned as The Great River Race, rowing 21.6 miles of the Thames from Millwall to Ham, Richmond, it was changed to a memorial procession following the Queen’s death on September 8.
As a mark of respect, all boats donned black flags or ribbons.
Kate Halliday and her husband, Simon, club members since 2019, felt delighted and privileged to take part and to represent Conway Yacht Club on such a grand scale.
Kate said: “It was just incredible, on many levels. Everybody was incredibly supportive and friendly, it was just an amazing atmosphere, and to be part of such an historic occasion was just amazing.
“I felt huge pride to be rowing right through the heart of London on the day, and to be representing the club. It was very special.
“There was a lot of debate as to whether the race would be cancelled altogether out of respect, but fortunately, the great organisers managed to get to an agreement.
“People had come from all over, so it would have been a shame to cancel it completely. We all rowed up the river with black flags or ribbons, in remembrance of the Queen.
“We both felt very upset that she had passed.”
READ MORE:
Special display at Llandudno Pier’s Ferris Wheel to honour Queen Elizabeth II
Conwy artist paints tribute to the Queen on Cayley Promenade
Two-minute silence beautifully observed for Queen by Conwy RNLI crew
Simon added: “We were all sitting round, having a group dinner that Thursday night (on which the Queen died).
“We were all very sad, and felt it would be respectful to cancel it, but we were so over the moon (to take part in the memorial procession).”
Elsewhere in Conwy, a two-minute silence was beautifully observed by the crew at Conwy’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station yesterday (September 19) to coincide with the Queen’s funeral.
Ann Gray, a Conwy artist, also painted a heart-shaped piece of Paddington Bear and Queen Elizabeth II, having felt a “warm affection” for the monarch on a familial and inspirational level.
Meanwhile, the Ferris wheel at Llandudno Pier paid its own tribute to the Queen with a picture of the late monarch in its centre circle.
For more on the Conway Yacht Club, go to: www.conwayyachtclub.com.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here