Utter madness. IQ of the nation.

Germanshepherdsmum

I’m waiting for you to tell me what their usual jobs are, which they were unable to do yesterday.

I'm sure if you Google "jobs in the armed forces" something will come up.

What a fatuous argument.

StoneofDestiny

Hope when dust settles the 4-9 million pounds bill for this 'tour de corpse' is looked at critically - and put along Charles stated ambition to reduce the cost of the monarchy! He and his mother planned this - without any hesitation about dipping into tax payers pockets.

When you next moan about your NHS collapsing, lack of NHS dentists, lack of police responding to your calls, school begging for handouts, potholes in the road...........think how easy it was to find the money for this show piece funeral, but not to pay public service workers!

Much of the money spent will return to the Treasury by way of taxation so what is the problem? It isn't being poured into a big black hole never to be seen again.

You're right in one way though. This provides a perfect illustration of the fact that it's political will that keeps public services short of money, not a shortage of money.

Well you started it volver. You referred to ‘usual jobs’ but obviously have no idea what they are.

Germanshepherdsmum

Well you started it volver. You referred to ‘usual jobs’ but obviously have no idea what they are.

You are starting to sound a wee bit obsessed GSM.

But if you hang on all day I'll track down those members of my family who are in the forces and ask them what they do all day. It would take a while because they are working.

Germanshepherdsmum

Well you started it volver. You referred to ‘usual jobs’ but obviously have no idea what they are.

Gosh, are you an expert on the armed forces as well, GSM?

I know a bit about one branch Maizie.

What do the people in that branch do? Shine their shoes all day in case they are required to go to a State Funeral?

No.

volver

Please don't preach about the armed forces to me. My DF walked down Whitehall many times in his number ones.

Please note I haven't complained about the ceremonial. Only the assertion that it didn't really cost anything for the armed forces to be there.

I was not preaching

As you have military personnel in your family then you are obviously aware that they train for occasions like this over the course of their careers. For a lot of the ceremonial regiments it is their job unless they are deployed.

There are times in life where the monetary cost is irrelevant and yesterday was one of them,

In an attempt to avoid argument, there’s a good explanation of the form and use of ceremonial uniforms on Wikipedia for anybody who’s interested. This is the army, but I’d imagine other services operate the same way. Some service personnel would already have the uniforms they wore yesterday, some would have been commissioned for the funeral or taken from storage.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniforms_of_the_British_Army

There are times in life where the monetary cost is irrelevant and yesterday was one of them

For me, the cost is irrelevant, almost negligible. But why do some people think it's necessary to say it didn't cost anything? That's either naivety or gaslighting.

The guy ranting about the procession not passing him, could well have a low IQ, he can’t help that. People are entitled to pay their respects, in fact the masses were extremely well behaved. You could hear a pin drop at times. You will always get selfish protesters who spoil it for others, they were few and promptly dealt with.I believe the amount of revenue the country makes because we have a monarch exceeds what we pay out to them.

Who said it didn’t cost anything? I missed that.

As I've said before, I can believe candy floss is like roast beef, but that doesn't make me correct.

Did you? Read the thread before you comment then.

Actually, since I only have personal knowledge about armed forces who are actually deployed to fight, what do all the ceremonial forces -the bearskin wearers etc. do as an every day job?
They are certainly well trained, and do a superb job, as yesterday’s sad occasion demonstrated, but what else do they do? When we are a republic, would they all be out of work or would we keep them for show, to come out when the new HoS passes by? Who would pay for them then? What would they do in the mean time?
I could Google it, but any personal knowledge?

I read that the coffin bearers had been brought back from Iraq to perform their duties yesterday, and what an amazing show of strength, carried out with utmost dignity! Credit to them and all the services for their performance yesterday. I was in awe of all of them.

Ginny42 yes that is correct.

Mollgo off the top of my head there are 6 Ceremonial Regiments, which have different division within.

They comprise off military bands, guard companies who protect the monarch and palaces along with the equestrians.

Around Horseguards Parade it’s usual to see horse and marching regiments anytime night and day.

They also have weaponry and combat training and are regularly deployed round the world on exercises, peace keeping and war.

Actually, since I only have personal knowledge about armed forces who are actually deployed to fight, what do all the ceremonial forces -the bearskin wearers etc. do as an every day job?

I don't have any personal knowledge of the armed forces at all, but I don't think that they keep the 'ceremonial forces' in a box to be taken out for state occasions only. I've always been under the impression that they were fully trained and as likely to be deployed as their colleagues who aren't called on for ceremonial duties.

The British armed forces are at a bare minimum anyway, aren't they? I doubt they'd waste manpower on ceremonial duties only.

Thanks, GG13. You confirm my understanding of the situation.

They also have weaponry and combat training and are regularly deployed round the world on exercises, peace keeping and war.

Thanks GG13 and MD.
I was thinking if the guards on duty and in my head I’m singing “They’re changing guards at Buckingham Palace. Christopher Robin went down with Alice.”

A useless piece of information, many of the mounted regiment have no prior horse experience. They apply and if accepted have an intense training course. Lots of falls, injuries and sometimes broken bones (the humans not the horses)

If a country-wide progress had been feasible it would have been good for people's morale and good for the image of monarchy.

There is an ancient tradition of important corpses being carried from kirk to kirk and town cross to town cross. I intend to look it up. I think one of the old Border Ballads describes the tradition. I seem to remember there is at least one ancient English market cross that is associated with a dead queen's progress.

GrannyGravy13

A useless piece of information, many of the mounted regiment have no prior horse experience. They apply and if accepted have an intense training course. Lots of falls, injuries and sometimes broken bones (the humans not the horses)

They do a very good job with them! Not a horse put a foot wrong yesterday and we both know that's equally due to the rider's skill as well as the horse's training

(though I'm not sure I'd fancy their chances in a cavalry charge...)

I was surprised at how few horses there were really.

I wonder if there will be more at the coronation?