Light Infantry Day, Wells – Sunday 17th September
2006.
The front page of the Daily Telegraph
on Monday 18th September featured a photograph of
the Bishop of Bath and Wells, the Right Reverend Peter
Price carrying two swans to their new home on the
Moat of the Bishop’s Palace at Wells early on
the morning of Sunday 17th September. A few hours
later the swans, which were a gift from HM The Queen
from Windsor, must have wondered what they had come
to as the finale to the Light Infantry Sounding Retreat
at the Bishop’s Palace reached its noisy crescendo
as the Light Division Band and Bugles supported by
the Band and Corps of Drums of the Devonshire and
Dorset Light Infantry played the final notes of the
1812 overture to the accompaniment of the Cathedral’s
bells, canon fire curtesy of 266 (Gloucester Volunteer
Artillery) Parachute Battery and rifle fire from Somerset
ACF. The Retreat was an excellent spectacle with the
contrasting uniforms and marching paces, and the sudden
appearance over the palace walls of a hot air balloon
sporting a scantily clad, voluptuous young lady advertising
Triumph bras – Brigadier John Hemsley’s
contribution to the proceedings!
Earlier in the day a Light Infantry
Club lunch was held in the Bishop’s Palace Undercroft
with the Lord Lieutenant, Lady Gass as guest of honour.
This was followed by Evensong in the Cathedral with
a strong Light Infantry presence. The Light Division
Band played during the service, the Colonel of the
Regiment, Brigadier Tim Gregson read a lesson and
Bristol Branch’s standard, representing the
standards of all the other Association branches in
Somerset, was presented at the alter by the Branch
Standard Bearer, Roy Jones.
Following the Retreat, a Regimental
get-together was held in a large marquee in the gardens
of the Bishop’s Palace, with the bar being run
by Captain ‘Spanner’ Manley and a party
of Rifle Volunteers from D (LI) Company in Cornwall,
and the buffet kindly organised by Somerset ACF. The
Bishop of Bath and Wells took the opportunity to present
a cut glass bowl to Brigadier John Hemsley, who oversaw
a week long programme of events to mark the 800th
Anniversary of the founding of the Bishop’s
Palace by Bishop Jocelyn, of which our Sounding Retreat
was the culmination. This was followed by a presentation
of veterans badges to members of Norton Radstock Branch
by the Lord Lieutenant.
Our thanks go, in particular, to Captain
Barney Barnes for providing a working party from B
(LI) Coy to set up the arena, to Captain ‘Spanner’
Manley, and to Captain Peter Vile from Somerset ACF,
who arranged the extensive cadet involvement in the
day’s proceedings.
Proceeds from the sale of tickets, programmes
and a bucket collection will be donated to three charities;
the Palace Trust, the Somerset Community Foundation
and the Somerset ACF Trust. The final sum raised is
likely to exceed £1,500.
Lt. Colonel David Eliot DL.
