Writing this today, after Prince Philip’s funeral, I’ll raise a glass to an impressive man.  I do wonder, though, who will be the first to model his hearse.  I think this is even more impressive – designing your own Land Rover hearse conversion.

Perhaps one of the most interesting un-modelled railways is the Necropolis railway, that carried coffin and mourners from a small station adjacent to Waterloo to the Brookwood Cemetery.  It ran from 1854 until 1941, when the London terminus was badly damaged in an air raid and rendered unusable.  Services were provided by the LSWR and then the Southern.

To close this depressing theme, I’ve always had a soft spot for that classic tune, “St James’ Infirmary.”

Folks, I’m goin’ down to St. James Infirmary
See my baby there;
She’s stretched out on a long, white table
She’s so sweet, so cold, so fair

Let it go, let it go, God bless her
Wherever she may be
She will search this wide world over
But she’ll never find another sweet man like me

When I die, bury me in my straight-leg britches
Put on a box-back coat and a Stetson hat
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain
So you can let all the boys know I died standing pat

An’ give me six crap shooting pall bearers
Let a chorus girl sing me a song
Put a red hot jazz band at the top of my head
So we can raise Hallelujah as we go along

Folks, now that you have heard my story
Say, boy, hand me another shot of that booze;
If anyone should ask you
You just tell ’em I’ve got those St. James Infirmary blues

I’m not sure that my funeral will be that exciting!