Page 28 - Mind, Body & Spirit Number 104 2020/21

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Headquarters London District has played a very different role over the past year, as many other HQs and units have. When COVID started, the HQ ramped up to an operational
HQ in support of Op RESCRIPT. This saw an influx of personnel from outside of LONDIST drafted in to help with the main effort. The HQ staff roles also changed to support Op RESCRIPT and my role was to support the HQ with FHP. I’m glad to say, with the strict FHP measures implemented, we had no outbreaks of COVID within the HQ.
The LONDIST units’ roles also changed from delivering Ceremonial duties to supporting testing stations around London. We had units deployed in Manchester supporting the main effort; 1st Battalion Welsh Guards were deployed to Dover on Christmas Eve to set up a testing station to test lorry drivers in the effort to clear Dover Port; the London Regiment reserves were mobilised and H-Div Bands put down their trumpets and drums in support of Op RESCRIPT - everyone had a part to play.
There was still a requirement to support ceremonial duties. The Queen’s Birthday was scaled down with a small parade held within Windsor Castle. As I write this article it has also been announced that 2021 Queens Birthday will also be scaled down with a small
(Left) Mr Mike Mumford SO2 PD, (Right) WO1 (SMI) J Gordon RAPTC
parade within Windsor. I can safely say that I will go down in history for being the first SMI LONDIST to not experience viewing the Queen’s Birthday parade from the PD Office window with a glass of Champagne in my hand as many have done before me. The only consolation prize was in Oct 2020, The London Marathon was 19.6 laps around St James’s park, With the event being closed to the public I had a ringside seat on Horse Guards to watch the best runners in the world compete.
Like the rest of the Army we have seen sporting events cancelled such as the GOC Cup and Lawsons Cup. I’m pleased that as we start to creep out of this pandemic with more people having the vaccination, we are ready and primed for the sporting competitions to start again and they will be bigger and better.
Overall London itself has been a very different place with the lockdown rules in place and at times it’s been so surreal. One early morning walking to work through St James’s Park, not a person in sight apart from a figure in the distance, it was the PM enjoying his coffee – we had a chat as we carried on our walk to work, he went into number 10 and I went into Horse Guards. London is a remarkable place to work even in a pandemic. The HQ Staff are great and the RAPTC team are outstanding.
HEADQUARTERS LONDON DISTRICT
WO1 (SMI) J Gordon RAPTC
Lockdown London