Many shops and attractions to close in Cambridgeshire for state funeral
Major supermarkets have confirmed they will close for the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen on Monday, September 19, as will many local attractions including National Trust houses and gardens, Cambridge University museums and the Cambridge Botanic Garden, GP surgeries, chemists and some hospital clinics.
Bin collections in Cambridge city, South Cambridgeshire and East Cambridgeshire have also been suspended for the bank holiday as a mark of respect for the state funeral and will be rescheduled.
Schools across Cambridgeshire will close for the funeral as a bank holiday has been declared. The Post Office has also confirmed that postal services will not run on the day of the funeral. Here we have gathered the latest information on all the expected closures:
Cambridgeshire attractions
All of Cambridge University's museums will close for the day of the funeral. A spokesperson said: “Most would usually be closed on a Monday, but those that ordinarily would be open - such as the Fitzwilliam Museum and the Botanic Garden, the Sedgwick and the Whipple - will all close for the state funeral.”
National Trust properties including Anglesey Abbey, the Wimpole Estate and Ickworth will all close on Monday. A spokesperson for the National Trust said: “On the day of Her Majesty's funeral, Monday 19th September, we will be closing the houses and gardens we care for, including cafes and shops. Coast and countryside car parks and pre-booked holiday cottages and campsites will remain open for visitors. Please visit our website for further updates. Thank you for your understanding.”
The Welney Wetland Centre has also announced its closure for the day of the funeral. It said in a statement: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the death of Her Majesty the Queen, who we were privileged to have as WWT Patron for many decades, before she handed the role to her son, now His Majesty King Charles III… As a mark of respect, we will be closing our wetland centres on the day of the state funeral, Monday 19 September. We will reopen again on Tuesday 20th.”
English Heritage property Audley End has said it will be closing the house and gardens on Monday “as a mark of respect” for the Queen’s funeral.
Supermarkets
Sainsbury's, Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, M&S and Waitrose have all confirmed plans to close their supermarkets or food halls on Monday, with just some minor changes in place for smaller convenience stores or petrol stations.
Online grocery deliveries will also be paused to further allow staff to pay their own respects to England's longest serving monarch.
Sainsbury’s said while it will shut its main supermarkets on the day of the funeral it does plan to keep convenience shops and petrol filling stations open during the evening.
A spokesman explained: "Our convenience stores and petrol filling stations will be open from 5pm-10pm to allow our customers to pick up essential items, while select stores in central London will open to serve those attending the funeral in person. We thank our customers for their understanding."
The John Lewis Partnership, which is responsible for Waitrose supermarkets, said a small number of smaller Waitrose stores in London could remain open to help serve the crowds in the capital requiring food and drink, but these too would close during the funeral itself, because as a company it wished to pay its respects.
Andrew Murphy, chief operating officer of The John Lewis Partnership, said: "We are deeply saddened by the death of Her Majesty The Queen.
"We will be closing our stores on the day of her funeral as a mark of respect, and because we believe this is the right thing to do for our partners and customers."
Tesco will close its supermarkets on Monday - with Express stores only opening at 5pm before then closing at their normal time. Online orders are also being cancelled - with staff contacting those customers who already have a pre-booked slot to help them make alternative arrangements.
Jason Tarry, Tesco UK CEO said: "We want to express our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, as well as our gratitude to Her Majesty The Queen for her unwavering service. On Monday 19 September, in order for our colleagues to pay their respects, our large stores will be closed all day and our Express stores will remain closed until 5pm."
On Instagram, Lidl said: “In honour of Her Majesty and to allow our colleagues to pay their respects, we will be closing all of our stores across England, Scotland and Wales on the day of the funeral.
"Thank you to everyone for your understanding."
M&S, while shutting the majority of its food halls does intend to keep some open close to Westminster Abbey for those queuing to pay their respects to the Queen but that these too will be closed during the funeral itself.
Morrisons, Iceland and Asda are among those yet to confirm their plans.
On the high street
Cambridge Market will be closed on Monday, Cambridge City Council has confirmed.
Primark will shut all of its 191 stores on Monday, reopening as normal on Tuesday.
A Primark spokeswoman said: “Our stores, depots and head office in the UK will be closed on Monday, September 19 to give our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects and watch the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."
Alongside closing Waitrose supermarkets, with the exception of some short-term opening hours for convenience stores in London, the John Lewis Partnership will also not open its John Lewis department stores on Monday.
Argos, owned and run by parent company Sainsbury's is closing its branches on Monday and also pausing its Argos Fast Track delivery service for the day, while M&S alongside foodhalls, will also close all of its larger shops selling clothing and homewear on Monday and deliveries will stop.
Poundland said all its 770 UK stores will close for the whole day, and any staff that had been due to work on September 19 will still receive full pay.
The company said: "We know how important it will be that colleagues have the opportunity to pay their respects next Monday, as the country comes together to honour and celebrate the life of the Queen."
DIY chain B&Q said it too intended to close on Monday for the Queen's funeral and all delivery services would also be temporarily suspended.
A spokesperson said: "As a mark of respect for the state funeral for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and to offer our colleagues the opportunity to pay their respects, we have taken the decision to close all our UK stores on Monday. Our click and collect and home delivery services will also be temporarily suspended on the day."
WH Smith's high street stores will also close and the company is expected to alter the opening arrangements of its travel stores found in places like airports, train stations and motorway service stations.
Vehicle repairs and mechanics
Vehicle repairs at Kwik Fit centres will also be stopped after the chain confirmed that all centres would shut on Monday as the nation marks the Queen's passing, and it will reopen as normal the following day.
Roger Griggs, communications director at Kwik Fit, said: "Following the declaration of a bank holiday to mark the state funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Kwik Fit centres will be closed on Monday.
"While we usually remain open on most bank holidays, these are unique circumstances. We are closing to enable all our colleagues to join their family and friends in paying their final respects as Her Majesty is laid to rest. We understand that many customers will be doing the same and hope that this decision does not cause inconvenience.
In a message on its website Halfords said too was closing all stores, garages and support centres on Monday, September 19. Its Mobile Experts would also not be operating on Monday, said the company, but that everything would open and run as normal the following day.
Post
Royal Mail has already confirmed it is suspending services on the day of the funeral with Monday now being a bank holiday. But the situation remains a little more unclear at the Post Office, where some branches are run independently.
The 114 branches the Post Office owns directly are expected to all shut on Monday but it will be down to individual postmasters in other branches, which are often inside smaller shops and convenience stores, to decide on their opening hours or whether they offer any services on Monday.
Changes to bin collections
Bin collections for residents of Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire will take place one day later than usual next week. This is to reflect the fact that the State Funeral following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will take place on Monday, September 19. East Cambridgeshire District Council has also announced that bin collections will not go ahead on Monday and will be making further arrangements for later collections.
GP Surgeries to close and some hospital appointments to be cancelled
NHS England has informed GP surgeries that they can close on Monday, September 19 as it has been confirmed as a bank holiday. Many chemists will also be closed. A spoksesperson from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System said: "NHS organisations across the country, including our own, are currently working through the guidance received from NHS England together with Primary Care colleagues. NHS England has confirmed that practices are not contractually obligated to open on Bank Holiday Monday."
Cambridge university Hospitals Trust, which includes Addenbrooke's and The Rosie Hospitals, has warned patients that some appointments may be cancelled but that anyone whose appointment has changed will be contacted beforehand.
A spokesperson said: "Monday 19 September, the date of Her Majesty The Queen’s State Funeral, will be a national bank holiday.
"This bank holiday will impact on planned activity at Addenbrooke’s and the Rosie hospitals on that day. We will be contacting all patients whose appointments will be postponed. There is no need to call us as we will be in touch directly with you if your appointment does need to be re-arranged.
"If you haven’t heard from us, then please still attend your planned appointment. If you no longer wish to attend your appointment on Monday, please can you let us know at the earliest opportunity by calling the number on your appointment letter."
