The British Military Tournament. Oh, what a night…
Last week we were offered seats for the Military tournament at Earls Court.
Some of you may remember it as the Royal tournament – an annual TV staple of a winter evening, watching the bands and the PT formations and the excitement of the Gun Run? I’d never been, but the husband went as a child, and told me to snap fast at the tickets… and so we found ourselves with four excited children heading into London on Friday night.
We arrived at Earls Court just before 6, and actually wished we had got there earlier (which we MIGHT have if we’d made the right train, which we MIGHT have if the people in front of us hadn’t taken TEN MINUTES to get a ticket out of the parking machine).
The halls were packed with exhibits and ‘try-it-out’ activities; holding a sniper rifle, sitting in a glider, trying out painball guns, or simply talking to a real life actual genuine helicopter pilot *8yr old boy faints*.
It was tricky dragging them away…
And No.1 is very keen on a Sniper as a career path now…
The boys were in heaven.
Eventually we took our seats for the main event…
And so the excitement mounts… (we had GREAT seats!)
The PT display team were big hits.
The Civil War re-enactment was LOUD – and needed a reassuring “yes, they’re just pretending” to the 5yr old…
These moved so fast you would not BELIEVE…
The famous Gun Run was performed by 17 & 18 yr olds with half-sized guns – but was still an impressive feat
No.1 was quite excited at the appearance of the Italian Job Mini’s in the White Helmets display
The final display of a contemporary situation in Afghanistan was incredibly absorbing
We had the most fantastic night. Admittedly the tired 5yr old was baffled by a lot of the information and fill-ins between displays, but she was enthralled by the horses, the bands and the White Helmet bikes. The boys were gripped all the way through – as were we – and didn’t stop with the “Oh, and I really liked the bit when…” all the (2hr…) journey home.
It’s finished now – but mark it in your calendar, and book it for next year. Get there early to enjoy the exhibition, and you won’t be sorry. It’s a Great Night Out.
The British Military Tournament was held at Earls Court, London on 2-4th December 2011.
