Queen's funeral: West Midlands communities gather to watch ceremony

About 300 people gathered in Birmingham's Centenary Square to watch the Queen's funeral

Hundreds of people have gathered in Birmingham and the Black Country to watch the Queen's state funeral.

In Birmingham's Centenary Square, about 300 people congregated to watch the broadcast on a large screen put up by the city council.

About 200 people also gathered in Wolverhampton's Queen Square, with people telling the BBC they felt they needed to mark the day together.

The Queen's funeral in Westminster Abbey ended with a two-minute silence.

The Leel family in Wolverhampton said they wanted to mark the day with the community

"We felt we needed to be here with others," said the Leel family, who joined others in Wolverhampton.

Stella Almond, from Coseley, was also in the crowd and said she "wanted to be around lots of people to celebrate the Queen".

"I'm now in my late 60s," she said. "The Queen has been with me all my life and I think she's been such a wonderful lady, such a wonderful person for the country."

She said the monarch "gave such service to the country" and was "deserving of all the attention, all the world leaders coming to pay tribute - she really deserves that".

"She has been our rock and our stay for all these years."

Tributes were left at Birmingham Cathedral, including this one thanking the Queen for being "'a constant"

Friends Samantha Samuels and Bernadette Killeen, from Bushbury, also travelled to Queen's Square for the screening.

"It was a fitting tribute to the Queen," said Ms Samuels. "I found it really lovely to watch."

"I'm just grateful I got up this morning and came down, that I didn't watch it on my own," added Ms Killeen.

"It's important that we celebrate and commiserate at the same time for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," said Wolverhampton city councillor Stephen Simkins.

"We've provided a big screen to give the opportunity for all residents across the city to come together to pay our due respects."

People had to brave a downpour to watch the broadcast in Birmingham

Members of the emergency services also paid their respects, including West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster and Chief Constable Sir Dave Thompson.

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Simon Foster and Chief Constable Sir Dave Thompson pictured during the national silence

Firefighters in Dudley also joined the nation in a two-minute silence

Transport operators in the region are also marking the Queen's funeral.

Silences were observed at Birmingham New Street station and West Midlands Metro, which operates the tram network between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

Services on the trams were halted for two minutes at 11:55. In a statement, the company said the Queen would be "sorely missed".

The broadcasts will run until about 17:00

Many people from West Midlands decided to travel to London to pay their respects to the Queen.

Among them was 27-year-old Nicole Stanyard, who was celebrating her birthday.

She watched the funeral with her husband near the Queen Victoria Memorial outside Buckingham Palace.

"I had to come," she said. "I came yesterday and stayed overnight. I wanted to get in the queue but couldn't so we went to Green Park and laid some flowers and came here this morning.

"I just love the royal family, everything about them. I just think she's amazing, the Queen, everything she's done, giving up her life."

Yvonne Abtoy decided to travel to London from Birmingham to pay her respects

Yvonne Abtoy was in Hyde Park after travelling down from Yardley.

Despite never having met the Queen, she said she felt it was important "to pay our respects".

"It's something we're not going to see again in our lifetime," she added.

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