Military tournament

[4Greens]

Just been to the Tournament at Earls Court. Great stuff and good money for the charities. Not enough in the press about it . Suggest PPruners take up the challenge.

[Tiger_mate]

I attended yesterdays performance. Outstanding - but no RAF visible at all. I understand that RAFPT had an enclave around to the left but I was not aware of it so did not see it, and nothing at all in the main event.

It is time that RAF Media engagement / ceremoniial had a word with themselves for public perception on the overall BritMil is built on occasions such as this and the odd RAFAT flypast is no compensation for an otherwise unseen force.

The face of the RAF Being limited to a couple of SH crewmen tapping into the Boeing (Event sponsor) display was a very poor show.

British Army and Royal Marine band Bravo Zulu :D :D

[Donkey497]

Long past time that this was back on the telly.

[Grobling About]

Couldn't agree more with you guys. Mrs G and I attended the Tournament on Saturday night. Truly an excellent show but poorly advertised and quite a few empty seats. The Bands of the Marines we're superb and the lads and lasses of Wellington College put everything into the field gun race. Congratulations to all involved. Particularly impressed by the use of the Black Hornet UAV during the assault demo. However the COBRA reconstruction using actors left me feeling disappointed. Why couldn't the real attendees play their own parts and show support for the Tournament and indeed the military as a whole....if Tony Blair can do it for Comic Relief........?

[Tiger_mate]

You mean the 'General' with a half goatie wasnt real?

..... And there was me thinking that the Victorian era grooming rules were being moderated at last! :eek:

[BEagle]

Long past time that this was back on the telly.

Agreed - but the pinko BBC luvvies would doubtless prefer to show Saturday night rubbish such as 'Strictly Come Dancing' :yuk: instead.

The Royal Tournament, or rather the 'British Military Tournament', would be seen as altogether too militaristic unless it included a carbon-neutral march by dungaree-clad, ethnically diverse single parent mothers of indeterminate sexual orientation....:rolleyes:

[4Greens]

As a matter of interest - does anyone know why the 'Royal' bit was dropped?

[Toadstool]

It was granted Royal Patronage by Queen Victoria but, after its revival after being dropped in 1999 due to financial constraints, it hasn't yet regained Royal Patronage.

[Tankertrashnav]

I'm pleased to hear this event is still happening, although by all accounts it is a shadow of its former self. One thing that confuses me - do they still have a gun run, which was undoubtedly the highlight of the old event?

Comments about the BBC are well founded, as the annual televised Festival of Remembrance is rapidly turning into a slush-fest, with truly dreadful mawkish performances from singers of a certain type, both male and female. These days I just record it and whizz through the worst bits.

[Tiger_mate]

There was a gun run - by two teams from Wellington College. Whilst lacking the excitement of inter- service rivalry, they did a bloody good job of providing an entertaining display.

For me the highlight was watching the Kings Trp RHA driving six teams around the relatively small arena. The standing ovation the disabled servicemen of today received was fully justified and quite emotional.

The RAF participation was pants.

Prince Edward attended the show I saw and I understand that William was also about.

[Red Line Entry]

However, I was at the Birmingham International Tattoo a week back and that had an excellent RAF presence led by RAF Cosford and complete with No 1 School of Technical Training's Colour!

There was even a field gun competition with Army, Navy and RAF teams running against each other. Unfortunately, the Army (REME) just pipped the Cosford crew!

[TheWizard]

33,500 people and counting down......

[snagged1]

Great show - good to see all the services demonstrating some of the many many capabilities which we have and celebrating heroes past and present :ok:

Fantastic!! Well done to all those involved!!

:ok::ok:

[Top Bunk Tester]

As far as I am aware each evening concentrates on a different arm of the services, so if you went on an off night for the RAF it's not surprising there wasn't a lot of input. At least that's what the company (Boeing) blurb said anyway.

[Faithless]

Lack of RAF was due to it being past 1700hrs ....come on get with it! :E

[Cornerstone958]

Went to the show on Sunday and have to agree that it was superb. Disappointed at the lack of RAF participation but the commentator did recognise the Central Band as being the tournament's House Band!

[Tankertrashnav]

Lack of RAF was due to it being past 1700hrs ....come on get with it! http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/evil.gif


That's fair enough, they'll be standing in for the navy from Friday lunchtime till Monday morning ;)

[Norma Stitz]

The BMT is a completely new venture, and has nothing to do with the Royal Tournament which ceased in 1999. In the case of all things ceremonial, nothing is like the 'good old days' when higher commands of all three services would stage various events. BMT did start as an idea by the incumbent GOC London District, but the event management companies that run the likes of the Windsor Horse Show, etc., are brought in stage the actual event.

As for RAF participation, the first BMT was an Army-only affair and (like all of the acts involved) have to be bought and paid for so the event teams try and mix the line-up every year for obvious reasons. The Royal Tournament of course saw a lead service every year - this is not the case with BMT and relies heavily on London-based units as they don't need overnight accommodation!

Go trawling Youtube for real spectacles from the past - the bi-annual Wembley Military Musical Pageant (last one was in 1985) was 'Army only' (except in 1977 for the Silver Jubilee) but still mustered 1,300 musicians, including one bit where about 1,000 of them (i.e. sans pipes and drums and Light Divison bands) were on the march. You won't see that again!

[Diablo Rouge]

The RAF have in the last two years:

Deleted King Air - Hawk - Tornado role demo from the air display circuit.

In addition to the Tutor grounding and therefore removal from the circuit.

Not replaced any display with a new 'act', not even a flypast by new AT types.

The closure of RAF Leuchars has seen sponsored events reduced to just two, with nothing north of the border. There is no appetite for static aircraft participation, and assumption based on what could be seen at Waddington and Cosford v reality.

Measure this against the post war (WWII) era where nearly every airbase (30+) had a Battle of Britain At-home day and you can see with clarity how much value the RAF place on public interaction. The Queens Birthday flypast is all very nice, and it always gets TV coverage, but it is no substitute from little johny staring through the rails at a Typhoon and having a pilot giving a few minutes of his time to talk.

It appears that QCS is a spent force with regard to town shows and events such as BMT / Air Displays these days. FWIW, the Navy Wessex 'papa tango' that did the school circuits many years ago was instrumental in influencing my own career choice. "I could do that" thought I, and some years later: I did!

[Dave Wilson]

If it hadn't been for the Finningley BofB days I doubt I would have joined up.

Is that the show where the navy used to climb a mast to a drum beat and have a lad perch at the top? I remember watching that as a youth and being quite impressed.

[4Greens]

There was a good RAF presence in the ground exhibion area. Better than the RN.

[Tankertrashnav]

Dave Wilson That was the "manning the mast" ceremony at HMS Ganges, the RN boy training establishment, originally a wooden hulk moored in Mylor Harbour, near Falmouth, but latterly a shore establishment at Shotley in Suffolk.

All the boys had to go up the mast at the beginning of their course. That let me out of a naval career, 35,000' in a nice comfy Victor is one thing, 150' up a flipping mast is quite another :eek:

Have a look at this if you're brave!

HMS GANGES - Manning The Mast - YouTube

[Dave Wilson]

Many thanks tanker, my goodness wasn't that different age.

[Wander00]

Sorry Guv, can't do that - 'elf and safety, you know..................

[Union Jack]

Have a look at this if you're brave!

Or foolish .... since all this reminds me of a visit to l'Ecole Navale, the French equivalent of Dartmouth at Lanvéoc-Poulmic in Brittany when, after a well lubricated evening, our new French "friends" dared some of us to climb their similar, but fortunately not as high, mast with them.

Once we got up to the uppermost top they then proposed that we should all jump together into the safety netting on a count of one, two, three, to which we very foolishly agreed since, after an alcoholic chorus of "un, deux, trois!", we all jumped - and they didn't!:D

We subsequently discovered that the mast was actually out of bounds to all-comers, since the safety netting was deemed to be unfit for purpose .....:eek::eek:

Jack