Early sight of Commemorative Programme

June 13, 2015 - The Chairman

We have just had the delivery of the Commemorative Programme for the service in St Paul’s next Thursday. Its a superb publication with some fabulous illustrations. It has been very put together by a team of experts with something for everybody. Serjeant Gibson was somewhat puzzled why the 33rd of Foot were not mentioned. So […]

Waterloo re-enacted with music

June 12, 2015 - The Chairman

Serjeant Gibson and I attended the Beating Retreat on Horse Guards last night and it was a really excellent show. Many re enacters did a great job and there was a certain atmosphere and as the picture shows the smoke and noise were very effective.The Massed Bands of the Household Division played very well and […]

Mercer Grave Restored in Time

June 7, 2015 - The Chairman

The money was fortunately found to restore the grave of Cavalié Mercer and here I show a stonemason re-pointing the inscription.  The race is to restore the grave in time for the ceremony on 18th June. It’s a particularly interesting and attractive grave and we can thank Robert Pocock in taking the initiative to organise […]

Daily Mail!

June 6, 2015 - The Chairman

Extraordinarily enough the Daily Mail did a piece in yesterday’s edition and then Serjeant Gibson told me there was an additional piece in today’s Mail. It was good to see an imaginary report of Waterloo on 22 June 1815.  I was pleased to see they had used this web site to extract some facts for their […]

Good Morning Duke!

May 29, 2015 - The Chairman

I and Serjeant Gibson were in Wellington Barracks the other day and bumped  into the Great Duke.  It’s a fine sculpture which had been in the forecourt of the Military Chapel in Caterham Barracks, which was turned into a very successful housing estate by Linden Homes in the late 1990s. It was originally presented to […]

Beef Wellington

May 24, 2015 - The Chairman

Serjeant Gibson and I have enjoyed two recent Waterloo Dinners, one at Bucks Club and the other in Boodles, where Andrew Roberts, the aficionado of Napoleon, spoke and spoke very well. I had expected it to be a series of Napoleonic excuses but not at all, it was a very balanced talk making the point […]

Serjeant Charles Ewart

May 21, 2015 - The Chairman

Serjeant Gibson and I spotted this memorial to another Serjeant, Serjeant Charles Ewart of the 2nd North British Dragoons, whilst in Edinburgh yesterday – although later  he was promoted to Ensign in the 5th Royal Veteran Battalion. This magnificent stone lies on the esplanade at Edinburgh Castle and remembers the great man who seized the eagle […]

1st of Foot’s Waterloo Colours

May 17, 2015 - The Chairman

Serjeant Gibson and I were in Edinburgh over the weekend and whilst in the castle we saw this stand of Waterloo Colours. They are of the 3rd Battalion of the 1st of Foot and both King’s and Regimental Colours survive despite the years. They are 6 foot by 6 foot. Illustrated is the King’s Colour […]

The Old Duke’s Memorial Service

May 16, 2015 - The Chairman

Serjeant Gibson and I were pleased to attend the Memorial Service on Tuesday last for the 8th Duke of Wellington at the Guards Chapel in Wellington Barracks. It was an excellent service attended by almost the entire Royal Family including the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. This is a reflection of the esteem he Duke […]

Does Hougoumont Float?

May 10, 2015 - The Chairman

Well, I bloody well hope not. I know it rained on the 16/17th June but not so much to float the chateau! However, did you know Hougoumont was the last convict ship to transport convicts to Australia? I and Serjeant Gibson will be surprised if you did! She was a three-masted full rigged ship of the type […]