However. the completion of The Queen‘s Birthday Parade did not herald a rest. Riding school for the new riders continued. There was the Garter Service. Hyde Park Tercentenary Celebrations. The Queen Mother‘s Celebrations. which were commanded by Col ParkerBowles. The list can go on and on but it would be wrong to paint the picture of all work and no play. The Squadron achieved both. Lt Lydiard—Wilson took a small group to Canada to help add ‘Ceremony‘ to The Calgary Horse Show. The Musical Ride travelled the country. Soldiers visited Fremington in North Devon by the sea for adventure training. Another group spent 10 days on the ship HMS Scyla under CoH Greenaway. Capt Lane Fox took his troop plus horses for a week‘s equitation at his cross country course in Yorkshire. There was of course Summer Camp at Thetford and leave. The adventures undertaken while on leave are certainly not for reporting. The horses also managed to obtain some fun. At Summer Camp they eagerly jumped the cross country course and took all the leading places from the Life Guards. Tprs McGarry and Welsh being the main achievers. on Equerry and Hotspur. This performance was repeated in the show jumping and Mountjny with CoH Greenaway on the SNCOs competition. Most horses achieved two to three weeks grass rest with Maj White-
Spunner’s sister and many have jumped at various com— petitons. Capt Woyka and CoH Flynn have led many of these jumping forays into the eventing world where our ‘blacks’ have met and beaten other horses. Next year should be less hectic for the horses, as undoubtedly there will be fewer soldiers who require initial training. There will be few changes in the Squadron and experienced hands should be able to provide the horses with a better ride.
Band Notes
Headquarters Squadron Notes
Headquarters Squadron has also involved itself in every way with Regimental activities. not only because they have given such sterling support to the Regiment behind the scenes. but also through their involvement in riding on Ceremonial parades. sporting activities and in train— ing. LCoH Wood takes a lead part in the Football team and members of the Squadron including (as was then) SCpl Pitt. BEM. FLCoH Wright. SCpl Masson. Tpr May and indeed the Sq Ldr Maj Coreth ran in the London Marathon. Again fcw manpower changes are scheduled in the Squadron. RCM Davies. SCpl Henney and FCoH Storey will all be present for the 91 Ceremonial Season. Then of course there will be the senior riding staff of W02 Pendry and SCpl Haywood. who will be much in evidence making new horses and reminding everyone how to ride.
The Band leads the regiment through Windsor for the Remembrance Day service
Although we left some very good friends behind at Knightsbridge. the move back to Windsor in January to rejoin the Regiment was like a breath of fresh air — literally. We vacated our airless. overheated. under— ground dungeon that we called a practice room for a
bright. roomy and cheerful band complex on the corner of the parade square at Combermere Barracks. If last year was considered to be busy. this year has been even more eventful. The mounted season began with the Queen‘s Life Guard and the Major General‘s Parade. followed by Beating the Retreat and Trooping the Colour. but the icing on the cake came in June when we had the pleasure of participating in the Queen Mother‘s 90th Birthday celebrations on Horse Guards. A cast of thousands took part. a mixture of children and charities. military and livestock. music and laughter. combining in a universal feeling of love and affection for the Queen Mum — not a dry eye in the house! Back on Terra Firma the Concert Season kicked off with the annual visit to Cambridge where we performed 3 concerts during the day. one for the children. one for the Senior Citizens then an evening concert for the public. In May we were invited to Guernsey to take part in the Liberation Day Parade. The Band spent five hectic days on the island. but the welcome we received everywhere
was fantastic. The Festival Hall provided us with an excellent venue for the first ever Massed Guards Division Concert where the proceeds went to the Guards' Museum. This concert proved to be so successful that we will be getting together again sometime in l99l. With such a hot summer. Bournemouth and Eastbourne were the only places to be. All our concerts were well attended and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The
winner of the ‘Horrendous Shorts‘ competition went jointly to Musns Hickling and Richardson. The Trurnpetcrs have been extremely busy. especially with trips to Brazil. the USA. and Mexico — and that was just in the first quarter of the year. The Trumpeters thcn settled down to their normal round of State duties.
banquets. premiers and various other venues. all of which has been good training for CoH Peter Haywood D Dickens and McGarry at the bookies
Capt Lane-Fox, Tpr Biggs and LCpl Flannigan on Isla
who. just as we go to press. has recently been appointed
Trumpet Major. Without doubt the ‘Piece de Resistance‘ this year has been the Kneller Hall Inspection. at nail-biting experience for all and sundry. September 25 was the big day. The Inspectorate arrived by horse drawn carriage. a ‘first‘ for the Commandant as he pointed out later. The inspection of the Band on the square was followed by a 10 minute marching display. While the Inspectorate walked around the Band complex the Band went into the Gymnasium to get ready to do the technical stuff. Questions were asked. answers were given. scales were asked for and scales were played. apart from B minor melodic where half the band went into cardiac arrest. For our ‘Test Piece‘ the Band played Walton O‘Donnell‘s ‘Three Humoresques‘ where the Director of Music gave a brilliant narration. In the entertainment section the Ceilidh Band. Dance Band. Combo. Brass Group and Orchestra all gave a pleasant performance. Then came the Finale. for which we played the ‘Brandenburg‘ with laser effects and cannon 7 were still having nightmares about the can— non‘s determined silence. When we were informed that we had achieved an ‘Excellent‘ the trials and traumas were all forgotten. On the non—musical side. we can sometimes find ourselves in very different situations. For example. for four months from November 1989 to March 1990 we suddenly became London Ambulance Medics. Such was our skill at this job we became known as the ‘Grim Reapers‘ and we were not the only ones to heave a sigh of relief when the dispute was resolved. Seriously though. we did in fact receive many letters of thanks appreciation and commendation from many members of the public. In particular we were all very proud of LCpl Peter Hassack. In April our standard of music did not quite reach its usual peak of perfection as several of us were training hard (very hard) for the London Marathon which we all completed with respectable times. The team consisted of the Director of music. BCM Brammer. LCoH Pegler. LCpl Howe and Musn Downes. This year we lost the services of CoH Burroughs and LCoH Pegler. we wish them all the best in civilian life. 21