Customers of the Marina Bar in Torreta 2 were invited to watch the televised coverage of Her Majesty the Queen´s final journey and enjoy an afternoon tea with a glass of Cava to toast Queen Elizabeth the Second.
The owners, Dave & Rita, had decided to close the bar on Monday, the day of the funeral, as a mark of respect. The staff had other ideas. They suggested it would be far better to host an afternoon tea for all who wished to come along and watch the event together on their wide screen TV. I´m sure all those who attended would agree that it was a good decision.
Some people arrived as early as 11am to watch all the pomp and ceremony taking place in London. David and Lorraine, regulars at the bar, kindly volunteered to decorate the premises with bunting, flags and a wonderful table display. We arrived a bit later with our Columbian friends who felt honoured to be invited.
The mood was very sombre. Rita and the staff, Debbie, Dawn and Linda were all dressed in black and looking far more serious than usual but, as always, very professional. There was a mixture of permanent residents and holiday makers mostly from the UK, but also a couple from Denmark.
At just after 3pm when the coffin was being transferred to the official hearse on its way to Windsor Castle, the sound of the bagpipes could be heard outside on the terrace. Donnie, the piper, was delighted to attend his local bar to play a few tunes to mark this historic event. After an emotional rendition of Going Home, he finished with the National Anthem.
Most people had, up until then, managed to contain their grief but now many were in tears, including the piper, himself!
Afternoon Tea was then served. Delicious sandwiches, cakes and even a platinum trifle beautifully prepared by Steph. An additional plate was delivered to each table. It contained 2 rounds of white bread cut into 4 triangles with a marmalade filing and a note from Paddington Bear saying, “Thank you Ma´am”.
I would like to personally thank Rita (Dave is away in the UK) and especially the staff who persuaded her to go ahead and host the event. It gave all of us who attended the chance to feel part of the historic event taking place in our homeland even though we were hundreds of miles away.
by Wendy Macdiarmid
