9th-12th-Lancers - Year 2002 - Page 0036
Image details
| Regiment | 9th/12th Lancers |
|---|---|
| Year | 2002 |
| Transcription |
34 REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE 9TH/12TH ROYAL LANCERS (PRINCE OF WALES’S) Officers’ Mess Since the last edition of the Regimental Journal in the Spring, the Officers’ Mess has, like the rest of the Regiment, been dislocated between the BATUS Station Mess in Canada and its current home in Schloss Bredebeck. As the Regiment straddled the two places, the Mess population was a fluctuating phenome- non, sometimes large and active, but often just one member enjoying his own company, so to speak. Early in the period, the sands of Oman were shaken out of offi- cers’ kit bags and a good band set off on Exercise Escaping Lancer, an excellent road trip to Prague, via Colditz Castle, organised by the new PMC, James Farrer. James also set about Mess finances with gusto, turning a leaking sieve into a Fort Knox vault ofwealth. The Spring also saw a Mess Womble sea- son, and industrial surges of logging, clearing of the grounds and Mess cleaning ensued. The livers-in produced a lavish Arabian night for all members and visiting BATUS OPFOR guests, during which Brad Preston excelled as the Master of Ceremonies, with his unique interpretation of camel racing. March took the Mess to Sandown, where Matt Eyre-Brook car- ried the Regimental honour with pride, and performed admirably in the Grand Military Gold Cup 7 attaining a very respectable seventh place out of fourteen. The Mess tent deployed into the field, and the chefs and staff did wonders to produce roast beef from the back ofa trailer. No sooner had the champagne corks landed, the Mess dashed back to Hohne for the Spring Ball, a memorable night complete with a vast culi- nary array courtesy of the Mess Chef and his team. After Easter leave the majority of the Mess departed to Canada to commence the build up training for the MEDMAN series of exercises. The BATUS Station Mess quickly adapted to the arrival of 9/12L, with Leroy the Buffalo in tow, and was enter- tained to a series of drinks parties for exercising friend and foe alike. The Station kept us well-fed and watered with cold Canadian beer, although the bar tables and stools have not since been adopted back in Germany. Undistracted by the disappear- ance of over half ofits members, Bredebeck began furious prepa- rations for the Queen’s Birthday Parade Reception and Beating the Retreat in June. In true Officers’ Mess style the Regiment put its best foot forward for a thoroughly successful and prolific party, thankfully as for the previous year, at the Garrison’s expense. Throughout the summer, as the Mess began to re-gather, the popular and most enjoyable Wednesday evening barbecues with families continued, and Gordon Clifford organised a successful Polo Ball in July. The centre of mass, in terms of numbers, remained in BATUS however, and in September an intrepid band of about twenty, organised by Jon Cathey, took to the Rockies for a weekend of white water rafting and sleeping next to camp fires. The usual migration of officers to ski training was painfully felt by the remainder as the full recovery from Canada signaled the start of the Christmas party season, in November! The Mess held nine events, from Commanding Officers’ Trumpet Competition to Divisional Guest Night, Bonfire Party to Ladies Night, over about five weeks 7 all great fun, but hosted by a fair- ly small and largely senior-end group. One of the highlights was seeing the Regimental Sergeant Major’s team of champagne bot- tle openers improve on a thousand years of tradition with span- ner, dagger, shoe, ladle and pen. The end of the year saw a fundamental change in personalities. Departures, some only temporary, included Colonel Jamie, Nick Bailey, Andrew Brodey, Simon Doherty, Jon Cathey, Ben Bennington and Brad Preston, while Andrew Carpenter, Matt Everett, Edward Inglefield, Stuart McGann, T—K, Dennie Denton, Matt Woodward and Joe Panter arrived. The first of this second group took over as Mess Secretary, alongside Tim Robinson as PMC. The rest of the new Committee consists of Henry Searby (Pictures), Matt Eyre-Brook (Property and Furniture), Josh Jacobs (Messing), Marcus Milne-Home (Wines) and Matt Woodward (Gardens). Having held a sub- stantial Mess meeting in February, the resolution is to meet more regularly, and to manage our calendar in parallel with operational commitments to the Balkans: a Summer Ball, a Guest Night and of course Mons Moy feature prominently. Sch/ass Bredebeck |
| Title |