This morning I was unable to post my daily blog as I could not get a strong enough signal on my mobile, nor find a way of registering my lap top on the available Wi Fi. Over the last 24 hours I was at Sandhurst, for a training course that had nothing to do with the MOD but which gave me the opportunity to meet some of the young recruits hoping to begin a years training and become Officers in the Army. Their lack of sympathy at our discomfort in residential accommodation that was to put it mildly, very basic was expressed with good humour. Yet only a few yards away the senior leadership of the Army were clearly in their element, running training courses for the young officers in settings that were surrounded by historical paintings and the most wonderful stained glass windows of various battlefields from the past. In between their own meetings and other activities some of these senior officers strolled purposefully in the wonderful context of this amazing country estate with their Labradors running ahead of them. All of us were surrounded by security measures that suggested we were at no possible risk from anyone outside of the wire. First thing this morning we observed the Army recruits marching and doing their manoeuvres in the thickest fog I can recall seeing for years. The horizontal item in the photograph above just above the heads of the marching soldiers is the muzzle of a Mark 4 Centurion Tank. Something else to remind all of the Officers of the history of their craft.

The last 24hours have been a fascinating opportunity to glimpse into a world that was not what I expected, but I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight. Meanwhile a few miles from Sandhurst, is the Surrey constituency of Runnymede and Weybridge where the local MP is also the Minister for Defence. According to yesterdays newspaper he lives in a house that he has switched into his wife’s name in some form of scam to ensure that his comfort is supported at the expense of taxpayers. Some of these taxpayers include the men and women who thought we were wimps for finding their guest accommodation a bit uncomfortable. I wonder what they think of the Right Honourable Mr Hammond and his antics?