HYDE PARK BARRACKS

1 March 2009

 

On a freezing 7th February 2009, members, families, and guests attended Hyde Park Barracks under the invitation of Commandery of Westminster for a tour, followed by lunch. This raised £2,000 for the Saint Lazarus Hospice Association and £400 for the Household Cavalry Casualty Fund for Afghanistan.

A highly educational tour, this took in the saddlery, the stables, the armory store, and the blacksmiths' forge. The highlight of the morning was seeing the Master General (himself an ex-Royal Horse Guard) accepting the salute and dismissing the Queen's Guard (the Life Guards) on their return from Guard Duty.

Lunch at the Sergeants Mess was an experience to behold. Highly imaginative and indeed a culinary work of art, breakfast salad (i.e. green salad with warm mini-poached eggs, black pudding and fried bread), followed by loin of pork with a coffee creme and a more traditional (and very sharp!) lemon meringue pie.

The weather was extremely bitter, and hospitality very warm. Thanks go to all who hosted and organised such a wonderful event.