Taking a sip of his tea, John Henshaw watches on as Her Majesty's coffin is carried through Westminster Abbey.
"She was the greatest Queen you could have ever had," he says.
John, wearing a black ribbon, joined fellow residents and staff at The Dell Care Home in Gorton to watch the funeral of Elizabeth II this morning (Monday). Union Jack flags were waved and cuppas supped as the home fell silent.
Greater Manchester - and the country - paused as the Queen took her final journey; marking a moment in history.
There was a feeling of sadness as elderly residents stopped to reflect and remember a monarch they lived alongside for decades.
Newspaper cutouts of the Queen throughout her life were scattered across the walls, with repurposed bunting from the Platinum Jubilee earlier this year hanging from the ceiling.
The décor - a nod to the enormity of the event - also served as a poignant reminder of a long life that many at the home see as inextricable from their own.
John added: "The Queen was a nice lady. She was the greatest person to do the job for 70 years."
"She was 96, that's a good age that," Joe Fitzgerald said. "Seventy years on the throne. That's a good amount of time."
The Queen lived alongside these residents; aged alongside them and watched the world change alongside them. As Charles III mourned his mother, the seismic shift from Queen to King, for those saw Her Majesty as one of their own, was clear.
"It's very sad. It's a sad day," Joe added.
Some residents recalled Queen Elizabeth as if she was a friend. "I think she was lovely," Ann Winfield said. "She was a very good Queen."
As tea was served, residents raised their cups to toast Elizabeth II in a quintessentially British way. It was a quiet, measured tribute, carried out with the greatest respect. Staff lined the room as the nation fell silent, offering a comforting hand on the shoulders of residents.
Following the two-minute silence, the home broke into 'God Save the King', joining voices from London and across the UK.
"It was beautiful, it was the send off she deserved," Ann told the M.E.N.
Pragmatism and respect were clear, as was the cheeky, typically Mancunian outlook on the day's events.
"I'm just glad it hasn't rained for her," Jean Fletcher said. "She's had a good turn out."
READ NEXT:
- Unseen portrait of The Queen released by Palace ahead of final farewell
- The Queen's state funeral order of service in full
- King Charles thanks the nation for support and comfort on eve of Queen’s funeral
- Queen's funeral procession route map and best places for public to watch
- Queen's state funeral: Time, service details and everything you need to know
