Hartlepool woman re-lives compassion among the crowds after paying her respects to the Queen

Lynsey Goodall and her family walked past the coffin which was lying in state at St Giles Cathedral. They also saw the procession as the coffin was taken from Edinburgh to the airport for its journey to London.

It was a day of huge emotions but Lynsey said the abiding memory was of a public which showed support to each other as they waited to pay respects.

"Even though there were queues, there were people who were asking if you wanted anything from the shop and they would come back with sweets, pop, crisps, nick nacks. It was such a friendly atmosphere.”

Lynsey travelled from Hartlepool to Edinburgh by car with family members including her children Nathaniel, 12, Phoebe, 11, and Charlie, 10, who all had permission by their schools to go.

"We put a blanket down for the kids and we told other children to come over. They sat talking to each other and sharing their experiences. It was the same for everyone.”

Once they did get to see Her Majesty lying in state, the children were ‘hugely respectful’ and bowed their heads as they walked past the coffin, said Lynsey.

There was complete silence when the coffin came past the crowds on its way from Edinburgh to the Queen’s final journey for London. The family from Hartlepool was standing at Castle Hill roundabout with Johnston Terrace.

Lynsey said: “You could hear a pin drop, there were tears streaming down people’s faces. She was like a mother to everyone.”

Lynsey was in the Hartlepool Mail headlines before when she made hundreds of worry worms out of wool before hiding them at locations all over Hartlepool.

Then, if someone finds them, they can take them home and cherish them as they face up to stressful times in their lives.

Lynsey took 30 of the worms to Edinburgh and gave them to people from all over the world. One went to a female journalist from Spain and others to people from Japan as well as closer to home.

"I just wanted to put a little bit of a smile on people’s faces at a sad time,” she said.