This could be due to a few reasons, the main one being not enjoying where I am. But it can also be if I'm so hot I can't function.
I guess the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Open Day at Bodney Camp near Thetford in Norfolk came under both categories. So I'm sorry that this is going to be a grumpy old man's column.
The organisers must have been gobsmacked at the numbers there to start with. It would have run into thousands. Now let me start by saying that I don't like crowds. I don't like having to get into car parks and I don't really enjoy much of what goes on. In other words I can think of many other things I would have preferred to be doing.
But in a strange way I was looking forward to the open day, particularly as we were going with good friends who I enjoy being with.
But sadly it was badly organised and I got no concept of what the regiment is all about. That might of course have been due to the fact that at times I just had to find some shade and my interest was at a minimum.
Getting into the car park was unfair. We joined a long line of cars that looked to be about half a mile from the entrance. We had just passed a gate that was shut, when it was suddenly opened and all the cars behind us flowed into it whilst we stayed in the half mile queue. That's very similar to when you are in a supermarket checkout queue and they open another check out and people from behind you file into it.
We did a turn in the road and forced our way into the gate close to us. Some people were obviously unhappy about that but why should we queue of another 15 minutes when those behind got straight in? That was annoying point number one.
Annoying point number two was getting in. The queue to pay on the day was half the length of the queue of people that had pre ordered tickets, making us wonder what the point was of buying online in advance. It took some considerable time standing in the hot sun to get in and there seemed to be little organisation. It was a good job the bag checking area wasn't operational or we might still be there.
Once we were in we made out way to the main arena where there was something going on but this was difficult to see and the PA system was dreadful. It looked like an historical re-enactment as there were men dressed as Cavaliers and taking us back to the days of Charles II. Then there was a large gap before a Raptor display and then another large gap before some showjumping.
We had a hog roast bap which was just overpriced mush. There were a few stalls selling things and a few food outlets and that was about it. So we left quite early as the other threequarters felt faint in the heat and I was struggling as well. We found a very nice country pub at Saham Toney and sat in their garden and that was by far the most pleasant part of the day. I don't think we will be returning next year.
I did take a handful of photos but normally at something like this I would take a massive number.
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Yesterday there was a special service at the Methodist Church to mark the centenary of the building. I will have some more on this and some photos in tomorrow's blog.