Troops comfort at the coronation

[nicholab]

Hi can anyone tell me how you do a toilet break for 5000 troops before the parade starts?

 

Also were do you keep snacks or drinks so as not to spoil the look of the uniform?

 

How do you also drink the right amount of fluids to stay hydrated but not need the loo and the wrong time?

[smurfomatic]

You can hide a lot of things under a busby...

[elsiegee40]

The military are supremely organised . You get get the occasional fainting soldier, but the logistics of keeping troops fed, watered and toileted are well within their capabilities. These troops aren’t all in a single location.

You can hide a lot of things under a busby...

 

[nicholab]

You can hide a lot of things under a busby...

 

I don’t think it only Guards the rest have normal hats.

[Dos_Box]

Having done similar things (including very long stands) whilst I was in the army, it's surprising, as Linda had pointed out, just how organised things are.

You are also careful not to drink/eat too much before such events! Often though, you are only doing that kind of thing for an hour or two at a time and spend the time before ensuring that nothing gets fluff/dirt on uniforms or equipment. Its a long day, but with surprisingly little actual activity for the hours involved.

Standing still is a lot harder than marching and there are little techniques you can do to keep the circulation going such as raising yourself up on your toes, slightly bending your knees etc. This is often done whilst attention is focused elsewhere though.

Oh, and everyone is too busy to think about going to the loo (and you do go before things start).

 

As an after-comment, I've seen guys faint after being on parade for 10 mins. Often this is down to them being dehydrated or overly tired. No late nights the night before!

[dhicks]

Hi can anyone tell me how you do a toilet break for 5000 troops before the parade starts?

 

And several hundred horses. I figure somewhere at the back of that parade must have been a couple of Westminster borough council street sweeper carts with additional shovels.

[sigma]

When I was young, my Mum and Dad used to take me to see the Trooping of the Colour. In those days, there were no crowd barriers on The Mall and you stood right on the curb. If you were a child (and you were not sitting on your Dad's shoulders), children were all let throught to the front so they could see well, and it didn't seem to matter you were out of sight of your parents. When the processions were using the full width of The Mall you could have touched them as they went past, they were that close. You could feel the vibration of all those feet marching and when the bands went past, it was phenomenal to my young ears.

 

Anyway, to get back on point, they would sweep up (roadsweepers with barrows), after the horses on the way to the Trooping and again on the way back.

[howartp]

My colleague was talking to someone last week who was in the guards parade for the last coronation.

 

They woke at some stupid time like 3 am and had a small but sufficient amount of food and drink, then were given medication to prevent them needing the toilet for the rest of the day.

[Cazab]

I play in a brass ensemble and our conductor is a current serving officer, previously the bandmaster of The Band of the Royal Logistic Corps, and he was playing cornet in the procession, wearing one of the rifles uniforms with the feather duster hats.

He said they had an all-nighter rehearsal on Tuesday last week where the whole procession went through the motions. Said there was a delay of 1 & 1/2 hours before they started so were all standing to attention till the procession started. He;'s saying he has had some back problems ever since!

[JATSO]

Hi can anyone tell me how you do a toilet break for 5000 troops before the parade starts?

 

Also were do you keep snacks or drinks so as not to spoil the look of the uniform?

 

How do you also drink the right amount of fluids to stay hydrated but not need the loo and the wrong time?

 

They have resources in the barracks areas for pit stops before and after.

 

Its been 30+ years since my last big parade, up early daily, maybe a week of practice drill before the big day, night before in bed before 10pm, no alcohol, up early, a good breakfast after with fluids, a toilet break before the parade and if you can't hold it during the parade, well you can guess the rest as water runs downhill.

 

A serviceman\woman does not move from their parade post until told to do so, for some its tough and they know they can't just walk off parade so they fall where they stand and promptly get looked after by the medics, making sure I had been to the loo before and twiddling my toes while stood still was my answer to staying focused on the job.