In the wake of unimaginable loss, Southport has found itself navigating a storm of trauma, grief and unrest.
A horrific attack on children. The eruption of anger and violence on our streets. The utterly bizarre sight of the world’s media camped outside of The Blue Anchor. First the Home Secretary, then the Prime Minister and yesterday, incredibly, His Majesty the King.
The King’s presence, announced just hours before, drew an eager yet conscious crowd. Two hours before his arrival, the small public viewing area outside of the Town Hall was already full. The crowd applauded and cheered, but not too loudly. The King was a very welcome guest to Southport, but no one present forgot the awful, tragic reason for his visit.
His Majesty’s genuine care and concern was apparent. He took time to view the floral tributes laid at the Princess Diana Memorial Gardens, warmly greeted members of the community who had helped with fundraising and rebuilding efforts, and shook hands with members of the public who had patiently waited hours to meet him.
We are told the King has been given regular briefings on the situation in Southport since 29 July, and had privately expressed a wish to come sooner, save to put a further burden on our local emergency services. How easy it would have been to politely decline altogether. To perhaps lean on the fact he is currently receiving treatment for cancer, or indeed that his summer residence in Balmoral had begun just the day before.
The King’s visit, though brief, offered a moment of solace. It was a recognition that what happened here matters, that the lives lost were precious, and that the pain felt in this town is shared by many across the country.
But it was inside the Town Hall and inside the fire station, where the King met several victims, families and emergency services responded, where his presence was needed most. His Majesty will today meet the families of Alice, Bebe and Elsie Dot in London. There will almost certainly be nothing he can say that will ease their pain, but it’s right that he tries.
There is still much to do, and plenty to contemplate. Unpicking and deciphering the murder of three children, riots on our streets, an industrial conveyor belt of disinformation and hatred (all, supposedly, in our name by people who wouldn’t be able to point to Southport on a map) and civil disorder that spread throughout the country will hang over us for an age. Everything seemed much simpler when the closure of the Pier was our primary concern.
And there must be justice, but justice must be allowed to take its proper course.
As Southport continues to navigate the aftermath of this tragedy, the town will hold onto the memory of His Majesty’s visit as a moment of shared grief and mutual support. In the coming days, weeks, and months, the road to recovery will be long and fraught with challenges. But Southport has shown that even in its darkest hour, it remains a community bound by love and resilience.
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