...Anyone Enjoy the Trooping?

[Freddie Campbell]

...Late 70s/early80s!(are you asking how old I am?)LOL

[Freddie Campbell]

...What was different this yearwas the absence of King's Troop,Royal Horse Artillery-due to illness in Horses or Men(?)

[BBMmk2]

There was an illness with the horses FC! Having now watched in on iplayer, I quite enjoyed this years. IMO, I thought te massed bands ere sounding even better this year for some reason. Their sound and ensemble, seem to be a lot more better than usual!!(Ever better I should say!)

[Freddie Campbell]

...Well BBM I think since the emphasis has shifted away from Concert Repertoire the Bands are concentrating on Parade Music more.Did'nt care for Trevor Sharpe's March though- went on a bit,IMV...

[Stillhomewardbound]

A highlight for me, because it was the Scots Guards trooping the colour this year, was 'I Belong to Glasgow' in one of the marching medleys ...

And tsk tsk to those who are so utterly puritan and hair-shirted to disparage such spectacle as irrelevant or wasteful.

I doubt there is a nation on the globe that does not have it's military ritual. I have seen similar displays in Oslo and in Paris.

They happen all over, and why should the British be any different.

I came to this country when I was 10 from Dublin (1971) and have been following this ceremony ever year since then. I love it!.

And I was equally proud to see the Irish Army put their best foot forward (left, of course!) back in April when the Queen was at the Gardens of Remembrance in Ireland. That striking image of the sword pointed high and diagnolly in memory of the dead.

All nations, small and lage, have a desire to demonstrate the pride in who they are, and somehow, morris dancing don't just quite cut it!!

Below are some shots from myself taken on the 2009 Trooping.

[Freddie Campbell]

...SHB-VERY nice shots! And I'm glad you felt the Queen not out of place in Dublin. (If I had my way we would have a Federation of GB & Ireland as both would benefit,IMV) Do visit my own Website- www.fredjamesc.com

[MickyD]

I didn't watch it. Was it all that different from last year, then? Or the year before??

It was different in that it featured a distinctly Scottish flavour, with a wonderful pipe band and various Scots tunes. I'm pretty sure I saw HRH tapping her foot at one point.

[BBMmk2]

I did enjoy the bagpipes!Always hve!! Must be the bit of Scot thats in me!(On my mother's mother side of the family!)

If I may digress back to the music(being a bandsmen myself!), I do agree with Freddie that the Trevor Sharpe March wasnt top draw, the other o=work I know byhim 'Fanfare and Soliquay, i think is of the same ilk, despite most other bands people liking it! I did like that march by Jimmy Howe though. I have always admired this Director of Music of the Scots Guards Band for many years in my younger days. I thought nof him quite highly. He also did quite a good arrangment of Hoagy Carmichael's song Stardust.

[mangerton]

catching up.... my friends will back me up on this..... I am neither puritan nor hair-shirted, but I still think this is an appalling waste of public money in our current financial circs.

MickyD, I agree. I'm sure I saw HMQ foot tapping. The bassoon - not that it matters a bit - but did anyone else see it, or must I put it down to incipient dementia? Come to think of it, that DOES matter.

[Freddie Campbell]

...Well it's actually a morale booster for the Soldiers who dislike NI,Iraq & Afghanistan as these seemed to lack cohesive military purpose of British stock-So I doubt if they would agree,or the millions who watch the specticle around the globe.Bassoon?Well
not in the Mounted Band certainly!They have to Play something else on those occasions,as do the Horns(Tenor Horns on HB)...

[teamsaint]

I thought it was a marvellous spectacle , Freddie, but, then, I've always been a Royalist (even though the current lot are a bunch of imposters) rather than belong to the lowest common denomination that is Republicanism ...

Also, don't you think Her Majesty looks so happy and relaxed these days?

lowest common denomination....interesting.

I always thought that being ruled by unelected people was pretty silly.
Actually, on second thoughts, why bother having any elections, such a drain on the royal coffers, when we could spend all the money on daft foreign wars.
Sometimes hard to work out which century we are in. Its no wonder the french sneer at us.

[scottycelt]

lowest common denomination....interesting.

I always thought that being ruled by unelected people was pretty silly.
Actually, on second thoughts, why bother having any elections, such a drain on the royal coffers, when we could spend all the money on daft foreign wars.
Sometimes hard to work out which century we are in. Its no wonder the french sneer at us.

Her Majesty does not 'rule' she merely reigns, God save her!

The French are free to sneer at whomever and whatever they like, and if they prefer to elect a natural clown as their ruling republican Head of State, then God save the French as well!

[Freddie Campbell]

...Monsuer Le President always reminds me of Rowan Atkinson somehow! (Actually I think the French secretly envy us for our Royal Family)

[MrGongGong]

. (Actually I think the French secretly envy us for our Royal Family)

is that our German royal family by any chance ?

[Freddie Campbell]

...Well they're all interrelated I guess!