Page 47 - QDG Volume 9 No. 2 2021

Cpls’ Mess
Unfortunately, much like 2020, 2021 was another quiet start for the Cpls’ Mess. With Covid Lockdown welcoming the Regimental return after Christmas Leave, things could only get better throughout the year.
With C Sqn shortly deploying on Op Newcombe there were a raft of changes to the committee, seeing Cpl Pugh hand over PMC to Cpl Griffiths
usual formalities the bar finally opened it shutters again for a warm up Pizza Night before the Football, with both new and old PMCs (Sgt Griffiths and Cpl May) serving the first drinks in over 6 months. This was on the house, after a whole unclaimed year of £100 being put behind the bar for every Wales and England game. It was clear to see by the numbers attending,
the Mess had been sorely missed!
With C Sqn deployed and A Sqn on PDT the Mess had a quiet Summer with less then 20 Mess members remaining on camp! However, using this time we planned the annual Lucknow function, which turned out more difficult than planned! With only one week on the FOE free for functions; every mess, squadron and department had the same idea: functions. Meaning our formal dinner was not able
to go ahead as planned. Determined not to let this opportunity pass, our normal formal event was quickly changed to become the first, and probably last, informal Lucknow night. Much to the relief of everyone still trying to get the stains out of their Mess Dress after the Lucknow before! The theme decided
1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
45
and then quickly again to
Cpl May upon the promotion
of his predecessor. Many
other committee positions
also changed hands to keep
the Mess going over the
upcoming and extremely
busy year for the JNCOs.
The PEC (Cpl Parsons),
Treasurer (LCpl Purvis/LCpl
Thornton), Bar Manager
(LCpl Kenny) and his staff
(LCpl Parsons, LCpl Logan
and now Cpl DT), Property
Managers (LCpl Sweeney
and LCpl Tekin) and Fire NCO (LCpl Cosby) were all charged with getting the Mess running again, once restrictions have lifted.
The beginning of summer saw restric- tions ease so the Mess could finally open again, just in time for the delayed Euros! After a quick dust off, bar restock and the
It was clear
to see by
the numbers attending, the Mess had been sorely missed!
Roll up! Roll up!
Port for the winner!
Just a small ale please
was a Casino night. No actual money was used during the night! However, the Winner did get a prize from both the Mess and the Casino company, so there were a lot of impromptu rivalries between the top earners! Cpl Bould claimed the top prize with the very last card on the final hand of BlackJack!
With C Sqn’s return in November and A Sqn’s departure it was time to cele- brate Regimental Christmas Day. With C Sqn on some well-earned leave, the ROG JNCOs were severely outnumbered as the Mess invited up the Tprs, for what was for many their first taste of Mess. The annual Christmas Day Raffle had a wide range of prizes from TVs, Laptops and all the way down to the less elaborate Blu Ray DVDs. A week later and with C Sqn back on RBSM for a week before Christmas they too had their own Christmas function before departing once more.
With Covid restrictions reducing, 2022 should bring the Mess back to its former glory ready for the return of A Sqn with an extravagant summer ball!
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