Residents of an Auchterarder care home paid their respects to the Queen by wearing bright colours.
At Westminster Abbey the attendees of the funeral service for Her Majesty wore dark attire to reflect the sombre occasion.
But elderly folk at Glencairn House were decked out in reds, blues and sparkly designs while being “transfixed” by today’s ceremony on television.
‘They are all smiling’
“Residents had a choice and they all wore bright colours,” said Julie Davies, the care home’s activities co-ordinator.
“One person is in a red jumper, another is in a blue dress and a flowery jacket and there are also sparkly jumpers – hardly anyone is in black.
“They are all smiling as they listen to the beautiful music.
“It is a celebration of how wonderful the Queen was and they are all excited for King Charles.
“She was amazing at 96 and they all appreciate what she did for them.”
‘They’re all transfixed’
Observing the funeral were 15 residents, which marked the biggest coming together in Glencairn House since the Queen’s platinum jubilee earlier this year.
“Everyone is watching, they’re all transfixed,” Julie added.
“One lady has her eyes closed but she can listen to what is going on.
“Though it has been a sad occasion they have been making comments about how beautiful George and Charlotte are.
“When we were allowed to come together with friends and family we had a garden party and it is like that with everyone coming together and watching this.
“And residents are saying ‘look at the beautiful flowers’, ‘look at the men in uniform, they look so smart.’
“And there have been lots of comments about how beautiful it all is.”
‘The silence was so powerful’
One resident who appreciated the sense of community in the care home was Martha Marnoch, 76, who has lived in the Auchterarder area her whole life.
“I am absolutely thrilled that I am watching this with a lovely lady beside me.
“All these people here with me are absolutely amazing.
“The Queen was absolutely amazing and the rest of the world has seen how amazing she is.
“The service has been beautiful and the silence was so powerful when the Queen’s body was moved before the service.”
‘A lot of residents have close friendships’
Care home resident Margaret Maucline, 80, wore a red sparkly jumper and black trousers as she watched events in London unfold.
“It’s been very sad but lovely,” she said.
“I sat with a friend and we watched it together.”
Julie, 52, who lives in Crieff, has worked at the care home for four years so has seen at close quarters the isolation experienced by residents when Covid restrictions were in place.
She said: “It’s lovely seeing people who don’t normally join in to come together and be with others.
“It is a sombre occasion but we are making it fun by picking out the niceties of it all.
“We are pointing out how beautiful Kate looks and they are looking at the colours of the flowers.
“A lot of residents have made close friendships and this has been a chance for them to come together.”
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