Page 91 - The Light Dragoon 2024

The Regimental Journal of The Light Dragoons
Ed Legard hosting officers shooting
Inflatable Canoe Club. The constitution was ratified that night and within a week, the club had had its first outing. 20km from Wylam Colliery on the Tyne up to the centre of Newcastle. Lt Arulampalam agreeably opted to pay off a rather weighty fine which gave the canoeists succour under the burning sun. Carving proudly on the water under the great bridges of Newcastle to the tune of Walk of Life will long remain an idyll of freedom in their minds.
It was with some sadness that the Mess Members went their separate ways prior to deploying on Op PSYMA. It was a reminder of how rare and special those times are when the mess is as one. A second winter ball was held to see everyone off, as within days, Gaza Barracks would become a much quieter place... Or so we thought. Just as the remaining officers had let their guard down, just as they wiped the tears from their eyes and settled in for the long months ahead, the soldiers burst through the back door of the mess in a frenzy, high on gunfire and a lust for silver. Capt Elkington, his legs battered and weak, was pinned to the stairs by the very men he thought he could trust and was carried away to the block. Balaklava was on. I need not explain the rest to you, dear reader.
PO visits
Approaching the back end of the year, the Mess continued to put their best foot forward, despite the numerical limitations. A great show at the Cav and Guards Club for the Officers’ Dinner in November was predictably amusing, as well as the inaugural December carol tour of Yorkshire. Safe to say, the ‘12 pubs of Christmas’ should become a mainstay of the Mess Christmas calendar.
As always, these mess events cannot possibly succeed without a team behind them. Our dear Mess Manager Fran continues to go above and beyond to facilitate all mess activity to the highest standard. Her commitment and standards are visible in every aspect of Mess life, and we remain very grateful to have her and her fantastic team on board. We also said an emotional farewell to our much-loved Head Steward, Abi, who had, for so long been a face of kindness and service to us all. We wish her well. But as that chapter
closed, so another was opened, ushering in our new head steward, Dan. And a better candidate for the role you would be hard pressed to find anywhere. Dan has brought with him total efficiency and a willingness to see things done properly - a marvellous addition to our Mess life.
In line with the continual up arrow in regimental activity, opportunities for the Mess to gather en masse remain relatively scant. Light Dragoons are deployed all over the world, but the Mess is still home and standards remain high wherever its members are. Whether it is perfecting blinis on the edge of Western civilisation, transporting the Mess silver for a BBQ in the Dales or leading the charge to the après ski in Verbier, LD Mess life endures, as it does in any country and any city where its former members now dwell. Merebimur!
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