The death of Queen Victoria at Osborne on the Isle of Wight on 22 January 1901 marked the end of an era in more ways than one.

Victoria had reigned for 63 years and most of her subjects would have known no other sovereign in their lifetime. With hindsight, we can also see that it was the beginning of the end of Britain's dominance in world affairs.

In 1901, for the man in the street, the main source of information on national and local affairs was the daily and weekly newspapers. The Queen's death was not unexpected...

"The entire nation," reported one of our local newspapers, its front page surrounded by a thick black border, "waited with baited breath. Then came the melancholy news announced by the slow tolling of church bells of the sad death of our Beloved (note the capital letter!) Queen Victoria."

The next day "blinds were drawn in almost every house and there were few people indeed who did not denote in their dress the mourning for the Queen".

Local organisations and institutions marked the event in their own ways. The boys of the Church Lads Brigade in their temporary hall in New Barnet, for example, came smartly to attention and doffed their caps to hear the news. The interior of St Marks School in Potter's Road, Barnet, was draped in black.

Mr Collier, head of St James' School, Friern Barnet, recorded in his school log: "I have today addressed the boys on the sad occasion of our Queen's death." At a meeting of a Masonic Lodge in Barnet, Bro AW Fereday referred in touching terms to 'our loss'.

A minute's silence was held in the County Court and a special meeting of the Finchley Council passed a motion of sympathy to the bereaved members of the Royal family. This was followed on the 2 February by Council members also joining the new king Edward VII, members of the Royal Family, the Kaiser of Germany and the royalty of other nations at Victoria Station to receive the body of the Queen which was then conveyed to Windsor.

The local churches, as ever in the forefront of such matters, played a key part in the national mourning. The interior of St Paul's Church, Finchley, was draped in black with a large wreath on the pulpit. At St Mary's, Finchley, the Rector preached on the text "Many have I all virtuous, but thous exceedest them all." There were funeral hymns and the organist, not to be outdone, played the Dead March from Saul.

It is pleasing to record that, in the best British tradition, business comes first whatever the situation. Local traders were not slow to exploit the national mood. We can go along, perhaps, with a local tailor's advertisement suggesting a new mourning suit and frock coat in black worsted as part of NATIONAL MOURNING.

Of more doubtful taste must be his other advertisement appearing on the same page suggesting a mood of NATIONAL REJOICING by the purchase of a new botany blue serge suit to welcome the new king. What we call 'hedging your bets'.