h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

ANZAC Day (It's actually spread over a whole week) week means a succession of balls, lunches, breakfasts, receptions and never ending renditions of the Last Post at far too many church services to be good for one!

Saturday saw the TNT magazine ANZAC Day London Ball complete with extremely painful bugler who not only crucified the Last Post but who made Chelsea Pensioners look toddleresque.
Sunday down to Wiltshire for lunch in the 'Orficer's Mess' followed by a service at Sutton Veny to commemorate the 146 Australians who died there during the 1914-18 war. About 146 of us endured yet another painful crucifiction of the Last Post and then had to stand in freezing drizzle while the church sounded out 146 tolls at five second intervals. As at least 130 of the fallen heros had died of influemza, it did accur to me that perhaps they might not appreciate their descendants dying from the same affliction.
Tea in the church hall followed in typical Wiltshire style...thank god I don't live in the country! (though the primroses were exquiste and everwhere).
Tuesday was even more memorable. A 2 am start to collect one of the Gods and get to London for the dawn service at the Australian War Memorial (Hyde Park Corner) was made slightly more bearable by almost getting arrested.
We parked the car in the office car park and started walking up to Hyde Park when it became clear that God's new hip was not up to the journey, well certainly not if carried by his legs. As we were passing the local Palias (Buckingham variety) a police car drew up alongside.
'Thank you Lord for our boys in blue' I thought and tapped on the window
"Can you give us a lift up to the war memorial, please?" I asked, explaining our predicament i.e that we were running late for the service due to the obviously 'faulty' hip.
They acquiesced suspiciously, transferring the armoury that was the back seat to the boot.
Once inside the car Mr 'practising to be Rambo' Plod remarked
"We were just about to arrest you. We thought you had nicked the poppy wreath from the Cenotaph."
Joy!
As we neared the War Memorial and Hyde Park Corner was lost beneath a sea of antipodeans they drove right through the cordon and conceded
"OK perhaps you were telling the truth"

As if I would lie!

A slightly better rendition of the Last Post, lots of air kissing and 'gosh isn't early' a quick swig of rum laced tea and we were off for breakfast at some Servicemen's club near Marble Arch. Breakfast was so splendid that we decided to skip the next service (St Paul's) and allow reasonable digestion to occur, washed down with copious cups of coffee.
10.30 saw us at the Cenotaph. Lots of salutes and silences and marching and real Chelsea Pensioners (not looking quite so toddleresque) and bands and wreath laying and oh yes, another rendition of the Last Post.
A swift walk to the Abbey (Westminster variety), queuing in the best British tradition, oceans of pomp and circumstance and...finally... a rousing rendition of the Last Post. They really do it rather well at the local church!
Lunch followed and then having managed to duck out of that night's reception in the High Commission and feeling as fat as Hattie Jacques, drove home to the sanctuary of what is fast becoming the student slum!

Final day of Last Posting on Sunday in Suffolk and then a few days freedom before 'the season' starts.
And they call it a day job?

Hi boots. It's nice to hear from you. I am not familiar with "The Last Post". I must have heard it and just didn't know what it was called. We use "Taps" in the US for veterans memorials. It's so sad I hate to hear it.

I hope you're keeping well.

Hyp

Hi Hypatia
Yes keeping well. Hope you are too. Should have spell checked the last post (excuse the pun) but detail was always my weak link.

Last post very moving (probably the same as 'Taps'...I seem to remeber hearing it on old Hollywood films)but not quite so endearing when crucified by bugle players who are tone deaf.
Did have a bit of a problem with the 'Onwards Christian Soldiers'in the churches (the edification of war is not my baby) and I always find it amusing that a supposedly democratic and reasonably secular country should have a national anthem that begins 'God save etc'
But ANZAC day is more about the birth of a Nation and national pride and the dawn service is awesome. Not easy getting into central London for 4.30 a.m. but there are thousands there and so many young people, quite inspiring.
How is life treating you?
Take care
Boots

Phew, Boots - life sounds incredibly busy. I do hope we can 'hook-up' one of these days.

Hello sweetheart. I didn't know that we have a dawn service on Anzac day in the UK. It's a special day in our family.

And SO GOOD to hear from you.



Ben

Hello back . Great to hear from you.

Since a God couldn't possibly look suspicious, what on earth were you doing to look like such a dodgy character, boots?

I remember your description of yourself on one of those early morning flower market runs ... you didn't get the makeup mixed up again did you?

Taps/Last Post - googling sees to suggest they're similar, not necessarily the same. Wiki has the music for Taps http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taps , but having that in my head now I can't remember Last Post and haven't found the music for it.

Taps is very familiar - I'm sure we used that in Brownies.

Waz

Hey so good to hear from you all!

Yes pretty busy but have appointed Fridays as my 'work from home' day so we could try and arrange a mini meet? It would be great to catch up.

God's are definitely just as dodgy as the rest of us Waz, just better dressed!

Third anniversary last Wednesday. It was good to have the kids here.
Done absolutely no work this weekend and have to get magazine to publishers by last Friday so am early nighting and 5am start...bugger the make up!
Take care
Boots