Tavistock town centre has come to a standstill in honour of Her Majesty the Queen on the day of her funeral. John Baldwin, owner of Baldwin Jewellery, has made jewellery for the Royal Family and Royal Navy.

He said: ‘We closed to pay homage to the Queen. I have met her and she was a gentle kind person. All our customers support us.’

Valerie Davenport, partner in her shop Kaleidoscope Toys, said: ‘We are closing out of respect for the Queen and to say thank you for her 70 years’ of unfailing service to us all - she was the perfect monarch.’

Toy shop Queen tribute - Valerie Davenport, Kaleidoscope Toys
Valerie Davenport, Kaleidoscope Toys shop partner, pays tribute to HM Queen with the help of Paddington Bear (Tindle)

Val Weeks, volunteer at the RSPCA Tavistock charity shop, said: ‘The Queen is the patron of the RSPCA and gives us the royal title, so we are closing in honour of our patron as a charity and to allow staff to pay tribute to our sovereign. Her passing means a bit more for us volunteers and all who support the RSPCA because she loved animals, especially her corgis and horses.’

RSPCA Queen 's death tribute
RSPCA charity shop volunteer Val Weeks with a photo of the organisation’s patron HM Queen (Tindle)