Page 24 - IT'S A RUM LIFE BOOK FOUR Volume 1 "Northcote 1984 to 1998"

Resplendent in their finery, these large horses brought back memories of our own Shire
horse “Ebony” who had left us four years earlier to earn his living at Young’s Brewery in
Wandsworth.

THE HONOUR GUARD
Making our way back to the seating area, a red carpet had been rolled out for guests to the
Royal box. An honour guard of “guards” in their Busby hats was preparing for the Royal
visitors of the day.
Quite suddenly we noticed some smaller members of the guard of honour. Our surprise
was confounded by the realisation that the small boys were wearing cub caps.

They had somehow managed to squirm themselves between the guards, and were
actually standing in the line, at the alert, quite happy to contribute their own welcome to
whoever was about to arrive.
Our confusion was complete when we realised their neck scarves were Spilsby colours.
They were some of our own Cubs!

Although those boys would never realise at the time, they had managed to do the
impossible. They had formed part of a Royal Guard of Honour at one of the most
prestigious military events of the year.

Time had been very short between us noticing the boys squirming into position.

The soldiers had been taken completely by surprise and almost immediately Princess
Alice, the guest for the day had arrived.
She could not help but notice her unusual honour guard and smiled graciously at those
small smiling faces as she passed.
To cap it all, the boys gave us great pride when as the soldiers presented arms, the young
Cubs gave the cub salute.

Then, just as suddenly, it was all over, the boys melted away, perhaps unaware that they
had managed something so unique. Something that perhaps could never be ever done
again.
The show was another splendid triumph.

The arena was decked out in bunting and flags and having been before we knew the best
seats to reserve to give the boys the maximum benefit. We had seats on the front row
towards the end opposite the main entrance.
Everything could be watched as it entered and progressed down towards us.

The Royal Tournament is a military display but entertaining. It tells a story and enables all
the armed services to participate using the best of their individual skills.

The Royal Horse Artillery always display their field guns pulled at high speed by teams of
horses.
The Royal Navy have their traditional field gun competition and the Royal Air Force
normally use some form of aircraft in an exciting display of bravado.