Britons turn out in droves to celebrate their beloved Monarch



On the 60th anniversary of her reign I too say: "God save the Queen"! -- JR





The threat of rain didn't dampen the Jubilee celebrations on the banks of the Thames today, as one million people turned out on the streets of London to enjoy the 1,000-boat Royal flotilla.

Pageant organisers said despite the weather, the huge crowds they had prepared for had turned up to revel in proceedings.

However, the enormous numbers of visitors created chaos on tubes and trains, with packed carriages meaning passengers were unable to board.

Transport for London warned people not to try and watch the flotilla from the already packed viewing platforms. 'The Diamond Jubilee Pageant viewing areas are now full; please avoid and find an alternative location from which to view the event,' TfL said.

TfL said that they were 'coping' with the hundreds of thousands using transport links close to the river, and that they were running extra trains to cope with demand, but that they had had to divert several bus routes due to the pageant.

Overground train operators also came under fire for apparently failing to lay on extra trains.

Travellers took to Twitter to express their frustration at the services, some saying that travel operators appeared to be laying on a regular Sunday service.

But despite frustration for some revellers, most remained upbeat and determined to catch a glimpse of the spectacle on the Thames.

Among them were friends Sarankumar Chandrasekar, 22, and Suhail Vilangil, 25, who said they were proud to see London's 'greatest moment' after moving to the UK from India two years ago.

Mr Chandrasekar, who now lives in Stratford, east London, said: 'This is the greatest moment for London so it's not something you can miss. 'It's a proud moment for us to be here and see the Queen from only 50 metres away.'

Mr Vilangil added: 'We wouldn't let a small thing like rain put us off. There are so many people here who have been so friendly.'

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