| I was on duty at the Cenotaph one year.It was freezing cold with light drizzle and a strong wind blowing.We had to parade at 06:00, and were then bussed to Horse Guards parade where we were assigned our point for the static guard The long raincoats we were issued with were rubber lined and what with the body heat, and the damp atmosphere it wasn't long before everyone was soaked through with sweat.The coach on the way back to Chiswick was unbearable.The smell of 50 steaming sweaty bodies squeezed into a coach was absolutely disgusting.We were on point duty for 9 hours that day, 4 of which was standing still and facing the crowds.In all the time we were there, we got one half hour break where we had to walk to a local school which had been set up as our canteen.We couldn't get a cup of tea because the boiler had packed up.As my refs break was one of the last, all the sandwiches had gone.All I had to eat in my 10minute bread was an apple, and a bloody Blue Ribband biscuit.I wasn't even allowed to have 2 biscuits.It really was a bloody awful dsy and one I will remember for a very long time |