OK young man.....

......you have got until 2200 to get those gleaming. 

Dave the Hedge's old boots continue to be reabsorbed into the undergrowth.

On entering the Royal Marines, one was given various boots and shoes. One pair was known as Ammo Boots. Ultra tough, leather soles and heels, they were intended for use on board ships where sparks near an ammo store would spell doom. Once these had been worn for about 6 weeks they became, for want of a better description, pliable. At this point they were taken from us and all our hard work polishing them was destroyed by the unit cobbler when he put an extra sole, 58 studs and toe and heel taps on them. Now they were rigid. You could lean forward 45º and not tip forward. 
The sound of marching men on gravel will always remain in my head, a powerful reminder of what had been.