Since the late 1960s, on the 2nd Saturday in every May, a band of brothers travel from the far flung corners of the world (Augusta USA, Paralimini Cyprus, Rio Brazil, Driffield England and other such romantic locations) and assemble in an English Country Public House in the village of Barrow Upon Soar, Leicestershire.
We then attempt to drink said Public House dry of alcohol (and at least once in the last few years we have managed it (Landlord obtained a resupply from the local cash and carry)) whilst regaling each other our stories of daring do from when we were soldiers (and when we were younger).
Generations of Special Operators (Signals stuff, not James Bond stuff) attend. The SNCOs who taught me in the early 80s, the SNCOs who taught them in the early 70s, the JNCOs I taught in the early 90s (one who I met today is now a teacher in a Secondary school teaching politics) and the kids who were taught by the kids I taught a decade later.
We laugh, we embellish, we reminisce, we drag up sandbags, we swing lanterns, we stare at people we knew way back when, (we know where, we know when, we know what we got up to, but age has dimmed our recollection of names so we say “mate’ - a-lot) we dance around whether people are still married to the same partner, we cry for those we have lost during our service, to war, to illness and to accident, we cry for those we have lost in the previous 12 months, but above all, we thank God for our time as Spec Ops!
Such a great event for you all - and tinged with sadness at those not able to attend. Your words are both funny but equally touching - a special bond unites you all! Stand with pride
A remarkable event & this shot shows it well. As the designated driver, It's not always as interesting for me, but it is interesting to see these once "lean, mean, fighting machines", succuming to the ravages of a life time of fine Mess dining, wine & beer, not to mention old age!
@carole_sandford And every year, not only do you put up with often being abandoned as I vanish back into the past, you are kind enough to drive me home from this event, without rancour. For that alone I love you.
(Not sure we were ever ‘fighting machines’ - ‘lean and mean’ yes)
@4rky There were probably another 100 or so in the room behind where I took this photo and another 50 or so outside. (I gather from a post on FaceBook that the bar finally closed at 2am)
@chimfa It’s a great pub. Only been at this one for around last 10 years after the original said they didn’t want to host it anymore. All the other pubs queued up to host it.
May 12th, 2019
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(Not sure we were ever ‘fighting machines’ - ‘lean and mean’ yes)