Page 93 - RSDG Year of 2021 CREST

Alfrey or the Regimental Secretary, Jamie Erskine had the rumble of a generator or wind whistling though in the background as I planned bands, locations and permissions from the back of BGHQ.
The first ’50’ of SCOTS DG 50 for some was (almost) 50 days of living off of our wagons.
We arrived back from exercise and whilst the regiment sorted their exercise kit I had to convince Sergeants Major that they needed to get their squadrons through the tailors to make sure their No.1 Dress was in good order. As we all know too well, your proximity to the SQMS will determine how loose your uniform is on ENDEX!
With our ambition rationalised by COVID-19 restric- tions we had refined a plan that was predominantly outside, with some indoor “nice to have” events that could be cut in the event that COVID-19 restrictions were still in place. Summer leave’s highlights included
The Pipes and Drums provide the tunes
recce’s of Edinburgh and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Council event planning meetings and much diplomacy. If only the First Minister of Scotland knew what was hanging in the balance of her weekly announcements.
The plan was now to parade from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, with the Deputy Colonel in Chief, HRH the Duke of Kent taking the salute out- side the City Chambers followed by a field service in the gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse with our Colonel in Chief, Her Majesty the Queen in attend- ance. The evening was to be opened with a regimental beating to quarters followed by mess dinner nights, a regimental brunch, highland games (Moncrieff Shield finals) and an all-ranks party.
Rehearsals started in earnest on return from sum- mer leave and it was reassuring for Capt’s Dzwig and Maclachlan to hear drill commands and pipe music echoing around the hangars as they crafted admin
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The Palace of Holyrood’s “Keep-off-the-grass” policy is relaxed