Britain Remembers

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Britain came to a standstill on Saturday to pay its respects to Diana, Princess of Wales. Many shops and leisure facilities remained closed until the funeral service ended, sports fixtures were postponed and silent tributes were observed in public places across the country.

Organisations said they wanted to honour the memory of Diana and allow staff time to mourn and in accordance with the wishes of Buckingham Palace one minute's silence at around 1145, was observed by the nation.

Most supermarket chains opened only at 1400. High streets, which are normally a hive of activity on Saturdays, were unusually quiet during the morning as retailers, banks and building societies also stayed shut.

Mohamed Al Fayed, the father of Diana's companion Dodi Fayed who also died in the car accident in Paris, ordered his Knightsbridge store Harrods to remain closed all day.

Sports stadiums remained empty after all major events were postponed. The Scotland versus Belarus World Cup qualifier and the NatWest Cricket Trophy final between Essex and Warwickshire were both switched to Sunday.

Nationwide football fixtures have also been rearranged. Scotland's 180-year-old Braemar Gathering highland games has been called off and none of Britain's five horseracing meetings took place.

Entertainment activities were also suspended for much of the day. Matinees at cinemas and theatres have been cancelled and audiences were asked to observe a period of silence before evening performances. Public buildings, exhibitions and theme parks were shut.

The National Lottery draw was moved to Sunday and will not be televised. Bookmakers remained closed for the whole day.

Public transport continued to function, however, flags were flown at half-mast and passengers and staff were asked to observe a period of silence. Planes were diverted away from the centre of London. All driving tests, including the written exam, were cancelled.

Political activity, which was called off soon after the announcement, will remain suspended until Sunday.

In Ireland, flags on all public buildings were flown at half-mast, an honour that has not been extended to a non-Irish person since the 1979 funeral of Lord Mountbatten. A street party due to have been staged in central Dublin to celebrate the completion of Irish President Mary Robinson's term of office was cancelled.

A shut down on such a huge scale is unprecedented. Sporting fixtures went ahead on the day Sir Winston Churchill's funeral was held but matches were postponed after sporting tragedies, such as those at Heysel, Hillsborough and Bradford.

Public support for a halt to normal activity was strong. The football match between Scotland and Belarus was postponed in response to a wave of anger that it was to have gone ahead. Pressure came from supporters, the Prime Minister Tony Blair, Scottish Secretary Donald Dewar and several Scottish players, including Ally McCoist, Andy Goram and Gordon Durie who all asked not to be selected if the match went ahead.

Organisers of the Braemar games said they received angry calls from the public after it was rumoured the event was going ahead. Bookmakers Coral, Ladbrokes and William Hill originally intended to open but later decided to close all day in view of the nation's sentiment. The Victoria and Albert museum also changed it plans. It will now stay closed until 1400, instead of opening all day.

The Somerfield supermarket chain originally said it would stay open all day and donate profits, guaranteed at a minimum of Ł100,000, to the British Red Cross Land Mine Victims Appeal. Public pressure caused a change of mind, though the donation will still be made.

List of organisations which are closing