Page 23 - LBV 2017

London History Weekend
Having the opportunity to take part in some leadership development training and getting out
of the field was a great experience. This weekend involved a history trip to London; visiting the Imperial War Museum, the Churchill war rooms, taking part in a Tower Bridge Ceremony of the Keys and a trip to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford.
We were allocated groups and briefed to
find an inspirational leader from either of the museums and to produce a presentation, explaining why our chosen person was a great leader. We started the weekend by visiting the Imperial War Museum which was full of examples of leaders, past and present. The museum was split into multiple floors, with sections on WWI, WWII, Secret Services, Modern Warfare and various other conflicts.
After spending the morning at the Imperial War Museum, we then headed
over to the Prime Minister’s Office,
10 Downing Street. It a great
opportunity to visit such an iconic
building and street that we all see
on TV so often. When we finished
taking the numerous pictures and
selfies in front of the big black
door we moved on to Churchill’s
War Rooms, an underground WWII bunker
and museum that tells the story of Winston Churchill’s life and legacy. It showed the Cabinet War Room, where Churchill led Britain to victory in the Second World War and also Churchill’s life story, from childhood to the inspirational leader that he became. The day ended with a
JUO Kirk outside No.10
visit to the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower
of London. The Ceremony of the Keys is the traditional locking up of the Tower of London and has taken place every night, without fail, for at least 700 years. The importance of securing this fortress for the night is still very relevant because, although the Monarch no longer resides at this royal palace, the Crown Jewels and many other valuables still do.
Our final day consisted of visiting the Imperial War Museum Duxford and delivering our presentations on our inspirational leader. Duxford is an operational airfield that was first used during the First World War. It now houses nearly 200 aircraft, military vehicles, artillery and minor naval vessels across seven different hangars. Although the main attraction is the various aircraft, the museum also accommodates several British
Army regimental museums, including those of the Parachute Regiment and the Royal Anglian Regiment. We spent the whole morning at Duxford before going back to the ARC to deliver our presentations.
This weekend was a great chance to do something different
with the CUOTC and learn about what our ancestors were once fighting for and the various figures that led and commanded the battle. It gave us the opportunity to not only learn about our own history but also to develop our presentational and public speaking skills, something that you need to be able to do confidently if you want to become a successful officer.
OCdt Newton,
University of Hertfordshire,
B (Ladysmith) Company
CUOTC members outside No. 10
THE LIGHT BLUE VOLUNTEER 21
COMPANY TRAINING
It a great opportunity to visit such an iconic building...