A HAMPSHIRE Scout leader has returned home with precious memories after queuing for 13 hours to view the Queen's coffin.
Queen's Scout Lisa Young finally got to pay her respects to Britain's longest-serving monarch after spending most of the night making her way through central London.
The five-mile queue route from Southwark Park to the 14th century Westminster Hall, where the Queen is lying in state.
Lisa, a member of the 6th Gosport (Air Scout) Group, was just about to enter the hall when it was closed for cleaning, forcing the queue to halt for an hour.
She said: "After thinking about it all week I finally decided to bite the bullet and caught a train from Fareham on Friday morning.
"After arriving at Southwark Park I met a lovely lady called Val from the Isle of Man and we were inseparable for the rest of the way.
"We all met people we'd never met before and will probably never meet again.
"But everyone was there for the same reason and the feeling of friendship created by the occasion was incredible - we were all rooting for each other.
"We watched the sun go down and also took pictures along the way - London is absolutely beautiful at night.
"At 3am there were only 30 people ahead of us when they shut Westminster Hall for cleaning, so we spent the next hour in Vauxhall Tower Gardens. It was really chilly but the Scouts handed out blankets because the queue wasn't moving.
"When you walk into the hall itself there's this amazing silence and a wonderful feeling envelopes you - it's just the most incredible experience.
"Afterwards, we said our goodbyes and went our separate ways. There was a train at 5.30am and I finally got home at 8am. I had a cup of tea and then went straight to bed.
"We queued for 13 hours but it was worth it - despite all the discomfort."
Lisa, 39, met the Queen at Windsor Castle in 2008 after receiving her Queen's Scout Award. They were reunited at a Buckingham Palace garden party three years ago.
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