Barnstormer - Those laces intrigue me! We had leather ones for parade boots and lengths of dyed black parachute chord for working boots!
What approx. year did those laces come in? They must have been a bugger if they got twisted!
Regarding the poor unfortunates who fell over outside the palace, they are the other units that get called upon for public duties from time to time, watch the Brigade of Guards when they do it, very careful about halts and turns!