The death of the Queen yesterday is a massive moment in just about all of our lives and it is going to dominate everything until after the funeral.

I have been quite surprised about my own feelings on the matter and found myself glued to the TV last night flicking from one channel to another seeing how they were covering the aftermath.

I met the Queen twice and was impressed by the way she could put people at ease and they were presented to her. I remember at the opening of big new academic building in Oxford quite a number of very prominent academics were overawed when Her Majesty stopped to speak them and found themselves tongue tied. She was extremely good at initiating conversations but was more than relieved when one of those who had been lined up to meet her was able to engage in dialogue.

This is so massive a moment that it is going to totally overshadow the first week of LizT.

Mike Smithson