'Fitting tribute' to Bali dead

Relatives were spared the intense media attention

By Tom Geoghegan BBC News Online, at Southwark Cathedral

The tight police security around Southwark Cathedral was a reminder of the random violence responsible for the occasion.

The memorial service for the British casualties of the Bali bombing was surrounded by a ring of protection.

Roads were closed and mourners had to pass through four police checks before they reached the cathedral grounds.

Many dignitaries attended

Click here for more on the memorial service

Their grief had an added poignancy in light of the increased terrorist threat of the last few days.

Relatives of the 26 dead Britons were taken to a back entrance to avoid the attention of the media.

That was just as well, because the main entrance resembled a film premiere in Leicester Square.

Flashing camera bulbs from two dozen photographers kept in an enclosure greeted the arriving dignitaries.

Some photographers perched on stepladders to gain the best vantage point, jostling for position at the sight of each car pulling up outside.

My sister was very happy living in Bali and she would have appreciated the link between east and west from the Balinese music

Bill McIntyre
Brother of bomb victim

Australian Prime Minister John Howard arrived in an entourage which included UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw.

Home Secretary David Blunkett, his Conservative counterpart Oliver Letwin and the local Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes also walked past the glare of cameras.

The toll of the cathedral bells added an air of solemnity before the arrival of the last guest.

The Prince of Wales arrived a few minutes after 1400 GMT and was met by the Dean of Southwark, Reverend Colin Slee.

'Intimate'

Prince Charles was then introduced to the chapter of the cathedral, made up of 12 clergy, who were lined up outside the cathedral door.

After the hour-long service, mourners began leaving the church in the light drizzle, many clutching orchids given by local Southwark schoolchildren.

Security around the cathedral was tight

Bill McIntyre, 51, who lost his sister Linda in the blast, told BBC News Online: "This service and the one at St Paul's (last year) were a fitting tribute.

"My sister was very happy living in Bali and she would have appreciated the link between east and west from the Balinese music."

Mr McIntyre, who lives in London, was due to meet Mr Howard at a reception that afternoon.

He gave special mention to the sermon by the Bishop of Oxford, Reverend Richard Harries, which emphasised the triumph of the human spirit over tragedy.

Mourners described the service as "intimate"

He said: "I particularly liked that - we have to cling to that in the circumstances."

And of the high security, he added: "It makes you realise how these threats are a continuing problem."

Patricia Chandler, a friend of the family of Marc Gajardo, said: "It was so beautiful. I went to the one at St Paul's and this was far more intimate.

"The orchids were such a lovely gesture.

"Everything was appropriate and well done, and the Balinese music lightened the mood."

A total of 180 people died in the nightclub bombing

Expanding on his sermon after the service, the Bishop of Oxford said it was necessary for mourners to move on in their lives while remembering the dead.

He used the analogy of redecorating a house but leaving a patch unaltered.

This indomitable spirit was necessary to conquer the evil of terrorism, his sermon said.

The trains thundering past overhead were a reminder that life was already moving on in the face of this increased danger.