Glistening Helmets

In one of the more bizarre turns in my working life, I found myself this morning at the Hyde Park Barracks inspecting the Household Cavalry. As you do. Part of my post-inspection tour of the barracks included a walk round the Dress Store, including a 110kg pair of drums from 1803, the uniforms of Princes William and Harry, and the Musician's Coats, costing £18,000 each. In the store were this collection of ceremonial helmets; the officer's helmets cost around £2,000 each, the Troopers a mere £1,600. Preparing the uniform for the daily parade requires eight hours of cleaning and polishing...every single day. I topped the morning off with lunch in the Officer's Mess...I haven't had such a surrounding of poshness since I went to a formal dinner at Oxford Uni. All very pleasant though; a cracking crowd, and a fine advertisement for the British Army. Best of all, though, were the horses - wonderful animals, utterly loved by the men.