Band performing at Queen's birthday

[Mid A 15]

Good to see so many monarchists on the forum given that we nearly all attended a Royal, Religious, Ancient Foundation

You may have attended that we were always told that Religious HAD to come first!!!

You are of course right

My only excuse is that I wanted to emphasise royal!

[Mrs C.]

No coverage at all of the London parade.

Looks like the band had to dodge the horse-droppings unseen by the world....

According to my daughter it was only a small procession - the Band followed by a few people dressed up, then the general public!
Rather sounds as if someone planned it without checking she`d be there!!
Oh well - lots of on-lookers though!

[UserRemovedAccount]

I can speak with some authority on this, because I was there. First, and most important, the C.H. Band was terrific. I was standing on the Queen Victoria Memorial (the "Wedding Cake") and saw the procession come down the Mall. I must admit that I had some doubts because the route was about four miles long and I thought that a few of the younger members of the band might wilt under the strain of a such a long march, on a rather close day, and having had to blow or bang something all the way! Well, I was absolutely wrong and they looked very fresh, sounded great and the drum-majors were still out there in front, looking fantastic, right up to the end. So, very, very well done to the band - a great performance and one of which they and anyone associated with the school can be proud.

I was somewhat surprised to see Mrs Ireland (Deputy Head) marching along immediately behind the band, and looking fit and cheerfull. So, well done to her, too.

All that was very, very positive and there was every reason to be proud of the band. However, I have to say that the overall event itself was not up to the same standard. There were a load of Royal British Legion standard bearers, a couple of pearly queens, a mayor in full fig (but of where nobody knew), a town crier, and some others. However, there was very little advance publicity and at the scene very few of the spectators knew what it was all about. The procession came to a halt outside the palace railings, where the card was handed over (but to whom, I have no idea) and the band played "Happy Birthday" and the National Anthem, and that was pretty well that. What was lacking was a Guards Regimental Serjeant-Major to take control and make sure that everyone knew what they had to do and when. I hope that I am not being unfair, but I failed to detect anyone who was actually in charge.

I was also slightly surprised to see very few Old Blues there, although it may well be that many simply did not know it was happening, or were unable to get away on a Friday. There was one group of very proud Mums, whose children were in the Band and that was about it.

So, did the CH band do its bit? Yes, very much so.
Did the band sound and look good? Yes, very much so.
Was the organisation of the event up to the same standard - sadly, no.

Your roving reporter,

[Vonny]

Just seen a very brief clip of the band in London on South Today. Haven't seen it mentioned on the national news at all though.

[englishangel]

There was a bit on the London news as well, it showed the band leading off then switched to an octogenarian Pearly King.

Petard, I am so pleased you were there and you were so positive.

[Great Plum]

Although by all accounts, the band were superb, I think Petard249 is right, it doesn't seem to have been well publicised!

[Jude]

Didn't get a thing - I bet it was better covered by Sky news or CNN - all we got here was an AWFUL speech form big ears himslef talking about Mama the Queen - strange really I mean after over 50 years he still doesn't Actually know his mother is the Queen??? He was reading from a script done from what looked like his horse n cart hideawy just down the road from me (in advance of the day) he kept pulling dreadful faces and grimacing especially when it cmae to the point of whishing her many more!!! I hope dear G-d that she continues and William gets to be the King instead of big ears - he may have some wonderful ideas, but I really couldn't support the Royals if horseface became Queen (which if you look back at all the rules and regulations etc from 1600 onwards - SHE WILL BE - the fact that this government has said she will be the Kings Consort is wrong legally - have done my research and if he becomes King she will be Queen - arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh tishooo

[englishangel]

My Mama (in Sussex) listens to BBC Southern Counties radio and apparently they did quite a big puff piece, interviewed Mary Ireland and everything.

[Jude]

My Mama (in Sussex) listens to BBC Southern Counties radio and apparently they did quite a big puff piece, interviewed Mary Ireland and everything.

We here in the South West - got loads of big ears - it was a bit sad really looking back, first before the 6 pm news we had "His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales" - where he burbled on about his dearest Mama - the Queen (in case no on e knew) - there was over 5mins of him... then the 18:07 news came on hith highlights of the speech we had just sat through and we got it all again!

Having lost my electricity due to Horse trials at Gatcombe Park (Princess Anne you know!!) when we lived in Avening on more than 3 spearate occasions, nearly beeing run into by her driving her horse lorry around the lanes, then see old Big Ears in and around Tetbury, flying in, or the police trying to block as many roads as he whizzes past in his cars, then having the Duke & Duchess of KENT living up at Lypiatt with son Freddie ending up in local casualty with a broken leg having fallen off a wall! I have seen quite a lot of the Royals! And we have to fund their policing out our local taxes!! Bless their cotton sox!

But no mention of the Blue coats playing in Lundinium, or anything like that - so many appologies - perhaps surfing the net will find a morsel of news that you will enjoy !

[Richard Ruck]

I must admit that I had some doubts because the route was about four miles long and I thought that a few of the younger members of the band might wilt under the strain of a such a long march, on a rather close day, and having had to blow or bang something all the way!

That is a fair old hike, isn't it?

Also, they might have been slightly rusty as this took place at the end of the school holidays, and they wouldn't have been playing for a few weeks, so it sounds as if they did a superb job.

[Jude]

jolly top show to the band players - all for really very little - however, we are very proud of them and even though it was after the hols I'm sure they played with the exceptional ability that only a CH Band can.

[DavebytheSea]

jolly top show to the band players - all for really very little - however, we are very proud of them and even though it was after the hols I'm sure they played with the exceptional ability that only a CH Band can.

No, no - these kids played IN the hols - they only went back yesterday! What's more the letters telling them to appear only arrived after the holiday had started.

[cj]

I must admit that I had some doubts because the route was about four miles long and I thought that a few of the younger members of the band might wilt under the strain of a such a long march, on a rather close day, and having had to blow or bang something all the way!

That is a fair old hike, isn't it?

Also, they might have been slightly rusty as this took place at the end of the school holidays, and they wouldn't have been playing for a few weeks, so it sounds as if they did a superb job.

How long is the route for the Lord Mayor's Show? That always sounded a long way, but when you're marching and playing to screaming crowds it's amazingly energising, and I never felt tired until we got on to the coach to come back to school. The emotion of the day and the event always carries you through, even having to nip around the piles of dung on the road! I'm just sorry there was little (or none, in the case of the SW tv schedules) coverage on tv for this.

[Euterpe13]

A shame that the general public did not get to see how very good the CH Band really is - I have always been seriously impressed by the Band, right back to the days when my bro' played in it.

I have a copy of the "Beating of the Retreat" tape which came out a few years ago, and one has to keep remembering. as one watches, that the wonderful countermarching and playing is performed by schoolchildren, none over 18 ...amazing !

Of course, also pig-jealous that we had nothing comparable ( not in my days, anyway) at Hertford - although our Choir was pretty nifty !
B.

[englishangel]

A shame that the general public did not get to see how very good the CH Band really is - I have always been seriously impressed by the Band, right back to the days when my bro' played in it.

I have a copy of the "Beating of the Retreat" tape which came out a few years ago, and one has to keep remembering. as one watches, that the wonderful countermarching and playing is performed by schoolchildren, none over 18 ...amazing !

Of course, also pig-jealous that we had nothing comparable ( not in my days, anyway) at Hertford - although our Choir was pretty nifty !
B.

I agree.