‘She was like our grandma’: Northampton residents pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Residents in Northampton town centre have shared their thoughts, memories and highlights of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year reign, following her death yesterday (September 8).

One resident worked at the Northampton Express Lift Tower when the Queen opened it in 1982

Colin Wood, aged 79, has worked in the lift trade for more than 50 years, which he says has been “an adventure.”

He worked at the Express Lift Company in 1982 when the Queen came to open the National Lift Tower.

Colin said: “I didn’t meet her but I got very close and a colleague of mine drove the lift that took her to the top.

“I’ve worked in London for the Express Lifts and, on numerous occasions, the Queen opened various functions and buildings so we had to do standbys up in the machine room in case it broke down - we couldn’t have the Queen trapped!”

Sharing his feelings on the Queen’s passing, Colin said: “The Queen has been part of my life for 70 years and she was a rock and the world won’t be the same without her. I will miss her desperately.”

When asked if the news came as a shock, Colin told this newspaper it was expected.

He said: “On Tuesday, you could see that she was very frail. It was so comforting to know that she worked two days before she died and that was her life’s service to the country.

“What a week we have had - we’ve got a new Prime Minister and a new King - absolutely amazing.”

Colin was asked what his message is to the nation’s new King, Charles III. He said: “Be like your mum - steadfast, don’t get involved in politics - a big one.”

Marie Walker, aged 60, left a message in the Queen’s Book of Commemoration at the Guildhall

Marie told the Chronicle & Echo: “She’s like your second mum, I think. I mean she has been around for the whole of my life and it just doesn’t seem real.

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet that you’re not going to see her again. It’s very sad but she’s with her husband, they’re reunited.

“In the last few months, you could see her health was getting worse and the amount of weight she had lost and mobility issues and then, when I heard on the news that all her family had been called, you know that is not a good sign but it doesn’t make it easier. It still comes as a shock.”

Marie told this newspaper she cherished memories from the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in 1977 when she was just 14 years old.

She was also at her daughter’s school when Princess Anne came to visit a few years ago and said she also met Princess Diana in the 1980s.

On King Charles III, Marie said: “It’s enormous pressure on him but I wish him the best and I think he will do a great job, I really do.”

“I think she will be dearly missed”

Mark West, who was also present at the Guildhall, described the Queen as a “very, very dear lady” who was “great for the country.”

He continued: “I love the video of James Bond and Paddington Bear. I think she will be dearly missed and King Charles hopefully will do the same as what she did for the country.”

Mark hopes that King Charles III will continue the tradition of delivering a speech on Christmas Day.

“I saw the news reader’s face change and I just went ‘oh my god, no”

Valeria Halladay and Ann Swann were sitting in Market Square together as they shared their feelings about the Queen with Chronicle & Echo.

Valerie, talking about her reaction to the Queen’s death, said: “I was actually shocked, it really took my breath away.

“When I saw it on the news… when the lady came on the news, her face had changed and I thought, bless her. It hurt me, it really did, she will be sadly missed.”

Ann added: “I saw the news reader’s face change and I just went, ‘oh my god, no’ and I just - I still can’t believe it.”

Valerie described the Queen as a “very, very nice lady” who meant “a lot” to her and Ann shared that she once met Princess Anne in Boston.

“I thought she wouldn’t live to see her Platinum Jubilee”

Jane Brown told Chronicle & Echo that her favourite part of Queen Elizabeth’s reign was her Platinum Jubilee.

She said: “I think, to see her happy and to see how the people were celebrating and happy to show how they felt about her, I thought yeah I was really glad she could get on the balcony and enjoy the celebrations.

“It was lovely that she lived to see that because I thought, at times, she wouldn’t live to see her Jubilee.”

“Marching for the Queen was an honour”

Susan Broughton is a part of the Royal British Legion and, with the Queen being its Patron, she felt it was her prerogative to come to the Guildhall to sign the Book of Condolence.

Talking about her reaction to the announcement of the Queen’s death yesterday, Susan said: “It was a bit of a shock, it made me feel a bit sick. It upset me a bit.”

Susan shared that she has marched in Jubilee parades, including one in London for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and one in Northampton town centre for Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee.

“It was an honour to do and something I will never forget,” she added.

“She was like a grandma”

Lesley Macdonald, aged 60, told Chronicle & Echo: “She is all we’ve ever known you know from - I’m 60 and she was like a grandma so it will be hard to say God save the King because we have always said God save the Queen.”

Lesley shared that both of her sons are in the army and one of them met the Queen, which was a proud moment for her.

When asked what message she would give England’s new King, Lesley said: “I hope you do as well as your mum did. We all loved your mum and let’s hope we feel the same about you.”

“She was the epitome of everything that was good”

Roger Judkins, aged 72, shared that he met the Queen once in Southsea, Portsmouth.

“God bless her, she was a lovely lady,” he said, “To me, she was the epitome of everything that was good.”

Roger shared that he also saw Princess Diana in Althorp and, sadly, was on the M1 when her coffin was driven past him.

Roger, sharing his thoughts on King Charles III, said: “I wish Charles all the best but I’ve got a feeling that the new powerhouse in the family will be William.”