Ready, Aye Ready!

This post has nothing to do with painting miniatures!

Here's a photo of the crew of TS Royalist, the flagship of the Sea Cadet Corps here in the UK. This photo was taken yesterday during the Thames Jubilee Pageant. TS Royalist was part of the Avenue of Sail, moored opposite HMS President. My youngest daughter, Petty Officer Cadet Genny Hargreaves (TS Marlborough, Abingdon SCC) can be seen standing in the rigging on the bottom right. Gen turns eighteen in a couple of weeks. Not a bad way to finish a career as a cadet! Nice one, Gen!

Image from the Royal Navy Facebook page.

Also, Chief Petty Officer Pete Young can be seen here from this image captured from BBC iPlayer. Chief Young (standing just behind the right shoulder of HRH Duke of Edinburgh) is an ex-crew member of HM Yacht Britannia and yesterday had the honour to act as Coxswain to Britannia's Royal Barge, transporting Her Majesty from Chelsea Harbour to "The Spirit of Chartwell." Chief Young is also the Executive Officer of TS Marlborough (Abingdon SCC). Good work, Chief!

Fifty-five Trinity 500 boats from the Sea Cadet Corps, each carrying a flag of the Commonwealth, also took part in the pageant. The cadets must have been frozen by the time it ended... and probably in need of a loo break having been on the water for the best part of six hours in the cold and rain.

Well done to all, you did the Corps proud.