The 99th Garrison attends Anna and Dan's Wedding - The Threehorseshoes Inn and Hotel,Leek

The 99th Garrison was asked by Bride to be Anna, to surprise her husband to be at their wedding.  This was at the Three Horseshoes Inn and Hotel, Leek on Monday 15th July, 2013.

This being a Monday meant taking a day off work for me but as it was a fairly local venue and a wedding [which I do enjoy doing] I was glad to take the day off!

We were due to be at the venue for 09:30 to meet the bride and check out the venue for trip hazards etc.... Stormtroopers do have limited vision!  I actually got to the venue for about 09:00am but as the weather was glorious and still not too hot, I was more than happy to sit out in the sun and admire the view watching the local blue tits and a little rabbit!

I was soon by joined by Vicky, Jim, Andy, Alan, Gary and David and we set ourselves up in the Inn's meeting room [after the bride had had her hair done in there] which was to be our base for the day.

We were a total surprise for the groom and most of the guests so had travelled in our normal gear instead of our 99th crew tops which are usually essential wear for our troops.  We got ready as quietly as possible which is not always easy with troopers voiceboxes and speakers and static bursts.  We were asked to be just outside the room for the service for about 11:25am and then once all the guests were seated we made our entrance to the Imperial March.

The reaction to our entrance was amazing.. most people cheered and laughed and the groom was really, really shocked but also very, very happy.  He said that line that everyone uses to a stormtrooper who is smaller than normal ..... "aren't you a little short to be a stormtrooper! and for that he was cuffed!

We then de-cuffed him ready for the bride's entrance to the main Star Wars theme music and we stood behind the registrar's table, in front of all the guests and happy couple for the duration of the service.  Me in the middle as the officer for the day and three troopers either side.

After the service and signing the register, we then escorted the newly weds back down the isle before having a quick break and then joining the wedding party for their professional photos by Matt from Geek Pride. 

We finished our duties at about 1:45pm and then we were treated to a meal in the venue's restuarant.... a lovely beef roast dinner with all the trimmings!  Much needed and appreciated... Thank you very much!!

Anna and Dan also made a donation of £100 to Dreamflight.... Thank you very, very much!!!!

A huge thanks to Andy [his first troop with the 99th!], Alan, Jim, Gary, Dave and Vicky. Truly dedicated troopers!!  

The 99th Garrison attends the Doncaster Classic Car and Bike Show

The 99th Garrison was asked to attend the Doncaster Classic Car and Bike Show on Sunday, 14th July 2013.

How many Imperial Troopers does it take to arrest a Jedi?!!

This is an annual event where the Classic Car Club raises money for the Rotary Club of St Georges and various charities and we were allowed to collect for our favourite charity Dreamflight. www.dreamflight.org.

I was giving Darran a lift to and from this event so that he could do Lord Vader for us so I left home at about 7:45am and we got to the venue at about 9:10, pretty much in a convoy with others - apart from Scampi Trooper [aka Dave] who over took me on the motorway now Speedyscampi! and Trooper82 [aka Alan N] who sadly had a flat tyre on his journey so joined us a little later.

There was quite a few of us at this event and this blog is going to test my memory of names and I apolgise in advance if I have got any wrong or forgotten any [this is why a post troop photo out of armour comes in very handy!]  It was also great to meet Vicky and Alan G for the first time.

We were out in armour by about 10:30 ish and were out into the heat of the day!  It was very, very hot.  So hot that the event was very busy and popular with visitors as they decided to come out in the sun for the day but that we were only able to do about 30 minutes outside at a time before we then had to go and have a break and a drink of something cold [and non alcoholc] before we could go back out again.

You dancin?   You askin?? 

We also spent some time indoors in a room where there was entertainment and we even did some dancing!!

We were quite busy with posing for photos and mingling with the public and the exhibitors etc and we raised £125.00 for Dreamflight. Not as much as some of our other events but sadly, I think that it is a sign of the times!

More dancing!

We also had a near miss when Trooper 82/Alan N nearly did himself an injury when he walked into one of the many wooden posts which had been put into the field to denote the exhibitors' pitches.  After a flat tyre on his way in, it wasn't really his day!

We were due to troop until 3:00pm but by about 2:30 - and after our dancing session - most of us had melted so we decided to de-kit and have a cold drink [from the bar this time!] before a quick walk around the exhibits as ourselves and then setting off home.  I dropped Darren off at home before getting myself at about 6:00pm.

Photo taken for the local press

A huge thanks to Darran S, Alan N, Chris, Wayne and Sandra, Mark and Jo and family, Colin and Eric, Jim, Vicky, Darren W, Alan and Scampi/Dave. 

We've already been asked back to next year's event!!

99th Garrison attends Elstree Studios, London - 30th June, 2013.

The 99th Garrison was asked to attend Elstree Studios, in London... the home of Star Wars where the original [and best] trilogy was filmed. 

This was a short event for us and we did not need to be at the venue until 1:00pm and on arrival we were provided with sandwiches, crisps, cakes and drinks to keep us going until the guests arrived at 2:45pm.

It was a very, very warm day [for a change] and we were glad of the air conditioning in the large room which was our base for the day. 

The special guests were on a tour of locations used for filming in and around Elstree and were on an old red Routemaster double decker bus for the trip.

They duly arrived at about 2:45pm as planned and as we had been kept a secret from them they were somewhat surprised to find us waiting for them when they got back to the Studios.  There was lots of posing for photographs in the boiling sun and lots of "aren't you warm in there?!" comments.

We mingled with the guests for about twenty minutes or so and then, once they had left we had various photos taken in and around the entrance to the studios.  This included a short walk to Tescos to a point where you could see the sign for the George Lucas Stage!

We then de-kitted and had a few more photos taken using the Elstree Studio signs as much as possible.  We were also given a small donation by Bob, the event organiser of £50 to go to Dreamflight.

It was great to see Dave, John, James, Stu and little James, Ken, Paul, Sonya and AJ, Paul, Susan and Megan, Gary and Rachel.  I think that it is safe to say that we were all a little hot and sweaty at the end of the event.... it was just so hot!!!

The 99th attends Glass Fest - Knottingley, West Yorkshire - Sat, 15th June, 2013

The 99th was asked by Ian Kirton to attend a "Glass Fest"  - to celebrate all things glass related at a Rugby Union Club on Saturday, 15th June, 2013 at Knottingley, West Yorkshire.

This was just over an hours journey from home and we didn't need to be in armour until 11:00am so I left home at about 8:40am and got there about 9:50am.  We were given the rugby players changing room to get changed in ..... not the cleanest of rooms we have ever used but plenty of space for us.

Typical stormtroopers.... even at this close range we couldn't hit the targets!

The event was held on the rugby playing field which fortunately was dry!  It was also very large with all the usual family funday/village fete stalls spread out around the edge which later on in the day only emphasised how quiet the event was. This was a real shame as the event had everything there for a nice afternoon out with the family but sadly, people just didn't turn up.  This was despite the event being publicised, including on the local radio station. 

Spot the public!

The Yorkshire Regiment of the Army was also there and had an inflatable assault course which looked like good fun.  Unexpectedly, there were no stall holders selling or advertising their glass ware.

The Wakefield College was also there and we were asked to pose for an official photograph to be used in future publicity material for them.

This photo was taken for publicity material for Wakefield college.

This was a small event from the point of view of the 99th with only myself as a Scout and John [who also bought his R2 unit along] and Dave as Stormtroopers, with Rachel and Dave's son Harrison also coming along too.  Rachel took all the photos that were taken.... thanks Rachel!  Harrison had a few goes on the Army assault course and I think that it is safe to say that he found it tiring but fun!

Harrison giving it his best!

The event started at 11:00 and the weather forecast had not been good so when it was still quiet when the event opened we remained optimistic that it would pick up, especially as it stayed dry and the sun was actually out for the most of the time, but sadly after lunch, we trooped for a short while and then decided to call it a day as it was just not getting any busier - although the bar at the club was.  I was also suffering with a cold and a runny nose which isn't fun under a helmet and with a balaclava on and was glad of a shorter troop.

one of those orbs that you walk inside of... none us fancied a go in one in armour!!

We allowed to collect for Dreamflight at this event but due to the small number of visitors the pots were still very light and i have made the decision not to break the security seal on this occasion to open them and count the monies.  I'll save them for our next Dreamflight event.

I wasn't going to get into this either!!

Having de-kitted at about 1:35pm I was home for just gone three and promptly went straight to bed to try and sleep off my cold.... so far, it hasn't worked.

The lady from the "Horror Scopes" Tent

Huge thanks to John, Dave, Rachel and Harrison.  No post troop photo out of armour on this occasion... I completely forget and was keen to get home and get to bed!

This was taken with a lady [stood next to me] who I think is Linda McAvan - Shadow Home Secretary and MEP.

The 99th and the MKG at Dreamflight's "Its a Knock out", Middlesex, 2nd June, 2013

The 99th Garrison supports Dreamflight's "Its a Knock out/"Family Fun Day, 2nd June, 2013

With the Dolphin Group

The 99^th Garrison was asked by Malcolm Smith [The group Leader for Dreamflight’s Simpsons group] to support Dreamflight at an “It’s a Knock Out” style Family Fun Day at the British Airways Concorde Club in Middlesex on Sunday, 2^nd June, 2013.  This we duly did, supported by our good friends and fellow troopers from the MK Garrison.

As this was an event in Middlesex and it was also Malcolm’s birthday with a little bit of a do at the Concorde Club the night before, a weekend was made of the event with a stay at a Travelodge near to Heathrow and about a fifteen to twenty minute walk from the venue.  The “do” went very well and lots of birthday drinks were had by all with all thoughts forgotten about what those who had agreed to do the next day as part of the “knock out” contest.  I think that it’s safe to say that one or two people may have regretted drinking quite so much when they were throwing themselves off and into the various obstacles that created the “Knock out” course the following day.

At least we were able to have a bit of a lie in though as the event did not start until 12 noon which meant that I did not have to be at the venue until 11:00am.  Once there I met up with Dan and then Greg and Darren from the MKG and then also with Jeff, Michaela and Kayleigh from the 99th.

We had a stars changing room with large mirrors etc as our base for the day and quickly got ready before going outside.  The event was quite big really with about thirteen teams taking place in the “It’s a knock out” such as the Micky Mouse Group, The Dolphin Group, The Pirate Group, The Tiggers, the Scoobies and the Peter Pan Group.  There was also a team from the Army who subsequently went on to win the contest.  I was in the relative safety of my Scout armour so did not take part in the Contest but from watching it, it seemed like hard work but good fun and also that it was inevitable that you were going to get very, very wet!!

There was also a police and police dogs display with one of the Dreamflight Alsatian puppies taking part, face painting, cakes, raffles [with tickets to New York as the first prize], bouncy castles etc, motorbikes [which of course I had to sit on…… as did Lord Vader!], a brass band, custard pie throwing, karaoke etc, etc, etc and the weather was absolutely lovely.

It was a lovely event at which everyone seemed happy and out for a good time…. I think that the weather helped. … There was a really good atmosphere. We were very popular with the children who were all really well behaved and polite [and the adults weren’t too bad eitherJ] and were kept quite busy for most of the time posing for photographs etc. 

I

We were not collecting at this event as we were part of the entertainment but we did get to have our photograph taken with “Aunty Pat”  - Patricia Pearce MBE, co-founder of Dreamflight all those years ago [27 or 28].

It was lovely to see members of the Pirate and Dolphin Groups again that I have previously been on the Dreamflight trip with but also quite sad to think that I won’t be going with them on this year’s trip. Just in case you don’t know what Dreamflight is about you need to check their website at www.dreamflight.org but if you follow my blogs then you ought to know by now!

With the Mice!

The fun day finished at 4:00pm so we de-kitted at that point and had the obligatory post troop photo before I had a quick bite to eat at a local pub and then driving home, arriving there at about 9:00pm.

Sweets Galore!!

Huge thanks go to the guys from the MKG for supporting the 99^th at this event – Dan, Greg and Darren and to Jeff, Michaela and Kayleigh from the 99^th.  It was a great day and one that I will always associate with seeing Kayleigh sing…. she was really good!  So good that she got her mum crying which then made me cry as a result!