They're Changing The Guard....

[Phil]

 

[Jon]

Happy boys - dont blame them the busby is a b*stard - neck starts to ache after a couple of hours - and the guards helmets are made of edges :-)

[annie]

wonderful pictures phil.

 

i do love our armed forces, and no country in the world does pomp and ceremony as good as we do.

[FUJI]

If you only knew what the Guard in the first shot was thinking ;-)

I was in the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards.....we didn't do Palace duties, but many time have I been stuck on the Main Gate outside a tiny Sentry Box..........two hours of more or less standing still is a blooming long time.

Palace Guard might be slightly better because there is an ever changing scene in front of you, so time might pass a bit quicker.....I guess it is only during the last 15 minutes when you feel ready to faint, buckling at the knees, gagging for a drink that some kind should points a lens in your direction you could thump them ;-)

Well done you for two well observed shots, and for reviving memories.

QUI SEPARABIT.

FUJI

[NannyFerret]

My cousin was in the Royal Guards and he said once that even if a person came up and started to get annoying they weren't allowed to even flinch.
Sadly he is gone now as he was older than me, but the memories are still passed done through the family.

Isn't it time that the queen looked into having the bearskins replaced with synthetics? or better still to rethink the style of their head wear and give the poor blokes something lighter to wear.

Those poor guards must have really suffered from the heat these last couple of weeks.

I must say though, that these are brilliant pictures.
 

[annie]

I am sure they have and still are looking into it nanny, but the problem they have is finding a synthetic material that does not hold water, making it heavier and heavier. the natural material is water resistant..not sure but I think the bear skin hat weighs around two pounds...

[NannyFerret]

I wouldn't fancy carrying that on my head, i bet they get a few headaches.