Christmas in a Day 2017
by
Major E S Mathieson
Second in Command 1st Battalion Welsh Guards
Christmas is always a very special time of year for the Welsh Guards. Traditionally it has provided the one point when everyone completely stands down and leave is harmonised across most of the Army as well as some elements of the civilian world. With 2017 proving extremely busy, this year was especially keenly looked forward to. As the majority of the Battalion had spent the previous 2 weeks in Germany for Exercise KABUL LION, the final week in camp before leave was always going to be hectic. Despite that we still found time to celebrate properly.
The Regimental Sergeant Major designed a programme to fit everything into one day and we made the most of it. We started with a parade in the beautiful, crisp Pirbright sunshine and then marched through the Training Centre to the church. The highlights included the Padre explaining the nativity story through the medium of crisps, the Fijians singing a traditional song and an unusual rendition of “We 3 Kings”! After returning to camp the officers and seniors looked after the junior ranks during the traditional Guardsman’s lunch. Musical support throughout the morning was provided by a quintet from the Regimental Band.
In the afternoon the families joined us to meet Santa, eat mince pies and sing some songs with the Padre. The day was rounded off with a social event in the NAAFI and the officers and seniors conducting Mess exchanges.
