Round-up of service closures and events to mark funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Here is a round-up of service closures and local events to mark the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

CLOSURES or CHANGES to SERVICES

All the county's libraries and museums will close on Monday as they do on all bank holidays.  

There will be changes to bin collections.

See our related story here. Changes announced to bin collections due to funeral of Queen Elizabeth II - Beyond Radio

Household waste recycling centres will also be closed.

The Customer Service Centres at Lancaster and Morecambe town halls will both close on the day, but books of condolence will still be available to sign between 10am and 4pm. Salt Ayre Leisure Centre, The Storey, city council’s museums and Visitor Information Centres will also be closed.

Any other changes to Lancaster City Council services will be publicised on the council’s social media channels @lancastercc.

Carnforth Town Council buildings will also be closed on Monday. Bookings at Carnforth Civic Hall and Crag Bank Village Hall will be cancelled and refunds arranged.

Some health services will be closed or operating at different hours on Monday to allow staff to pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen during her funeral.

GP practices in Lancashire and South Cumbria will be closed, as will many other services such as dentists, optometrists, and some pharmacies.

People are advised to be ready for the bank holiday by ordering any repeat prescriptions in advance, re-stocking medicine cabinets, and understanding which services are available should they need medical assistance.

For any urgent care needs, people are asked to visit 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

NHS 111 will help direct you to the most appropriate service which could be a walk-in centre, pharmacy, or an out-of-hours GP appointment.

In a life-threatening situation, people should always call 999.

Some local pharmacies will be open and are able to provide expert advice and deal with minor ailments and illnesses. Details of pharmacies that are open are available on the NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board website.

For urgent or emergency dental treatment, call 0300 1234010.

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, the 24/7 Crisis Line is available on 0800 953 0110.

The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust said there would be some reduced services at their local hospitals, including the Royal Lancaster Infirmary,

"We understand that reducing the activity we provide on that day will have an impact on patients who have been waiting for their appointment and have tried to limit the impact on patients wherever possible," said a spokesperson for the trust.

"With that in mind:

• We are prioritising cancer and urgent activities and will also run routine activity where staffing allows
• We will run a reduced elective (planned) operating schedule at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary and Furness General Hospital

"We are very grateful to colleagues who have agreed to come into work so that we can continue to provide urgent treatment to those patients who need it most.

"For patients who have planned procedures or outpatient appointments on this day, we will contact you if these need to be rescheduled. We apologise for the disruption to your care, and we will provide you with a new appointment as soon as possible.

"Please do let us know as soon as possible if you have not heard from us but cannot make your appointment.

"In order to support patients and colleagues to pay their respects, our hospital TV provider Hospedia will provide free TV to patients on Monday  September 19 to allow patients to view the funeral and mourn Her Majesty’s death with others across the country. We will also show coverage of the funeral on digital screens across our hospital sites.

"Colleagues and patients are invited to observe the national moment of reflection on Sunday at 8pm in their own way, whether that be on a ward or in their home or community.

"Our chaplaincy team are also on hand for anyone of any faith or none to spend some quiet time in the chapels at Furness General Hospital, Westmorland General Hospital or the Royal Lancaster Infirmary."

Lancashire schools are also expected to follow the national advice from the Department for Education and close for the Bank Holiday. However, schools are run independently, and parents should check with them directly to confirm.

Public transport and bus stations will operate to bank holiday schedules. Please check operator's timetables for details.

Arrangements for the registration service will ensure that any weddings already scheduled for Monday September 19 can still take place on that day. However, couples are being contacted to check on their preferences, in case they would rather move to another date.  

Lancashire County Council is moving birth registration and notice of marriage appointments unless the customer wants the registration or notice appointment to go ahead on that day. The county council will register deaths if it would mean the family otherwise having to wait. People are advised to contact their local register office for further details.

Essential social care services, such as county council-run children's and adults care facilities, respite services and care homes and social care hospital discharge will operate as normal on Monday September 19.

Adult day service staff are to consult with people who use the services and their families to understand attendance on September 19 before the arrangements for each centre are finalised.

EVENTS

A candlelit vigil will be held outside Lancaster Castle to mark the nationwide minute's silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II on the evening of Sunday September 18.

More details here. Candlelit vigil for Queen Elizabeth II to be held at Lancaster Castle - Beyond Radio

A candlelight procession will take place along Morecambe Promenade on Saturday September 17. This has been organised by local brain injury support charity Headway Lancaster and Morecambe Bay, and BayBuddies.  The walk will start at 7.30pm just as the sun goes down and will finish around 8.30pm. All members who wish to join in are welcome together with friends and families. Meet at Festival Market car park (near the conservatory café).

A Headway spokesperson said: "Headway organised a Triathlon Relay for members at 3-1-5 Health Club a number of years ago. As a result of that The Duchy of Lancaster awarded us £10,000 from the Queen’s private purse and this changed the course of Headway Lancaster and Morecambe Bay forever. The Candlelight Procession will provide an opportunity to say ‘thank you’ in our own way."

The York Hotel on Lancaster Road in Morecambe will honour the nationwide minute's silence on Sunday September 18. The pub's doors will close at 7.30pm and then the minute's silence will be observed at 8pm. Customers will be invited to write a message on the outside wall of the pub as a tribute to the Queen. The pub will also be open on Monday at 10.30am to broadcast the funeral. There will be a buffet lunch at 1pm. The York will close at 6pm on Monday as a mark of respect to Her Majesty.

The Royal Hotel at Bolton-le-Sands will open on Monday, September 19 for a "very British picnic celebration" in the garden.

The pub will screen the state funeral on its huge TV and sound system.

"So we can give as many of our staff the day off as possible but also host an event where we can hopefully bring our community together, we’ve taken the highly unusual decision of allowing all guests on Monday to bring their own food and drinks to enjoy at their leisure in our garden as the coverage unfolds," said a statement on the Royal Facebook page.

"It is a time for coming together, not for tills to be ringing.

"We’ll open from 10am exclusively in the garden. Our kitchen will be shut all day and we will serve a limited drinks offering from our garden bar for those who don’t fancy the self catering option! We intend to keep our inside areas shut although toilet facilities will be very much open for use.

"We don’t want it to be a sombre day, but instead an affectionate celebration of a life well lived and a woman much loved."

Johnny's Warehouse Bar on Marine Road Central in Morecambe will be open on Monday from 9.30am and will show Her Majesty's funeral.

"We've made the decision to open on Monday, offering our customers the opportunity to come together and say farewell to Queen Elizabeth II with their families, and as a community," said the venue's Facebook page.

"Her Majesty's funeral will be shown on our big screen, giving those who haven't travelled to London a chance to share in this historic moment together.

"We will be serving free tea/coffee and biscuits (subject to availability), and request that anyone who comes along while the funeral is shown is respectful."