Brigade Major offers advice to forces personnel on VE Day 80 parade: enjoy yourselves
For now, the parade square at Wellington Barracks in the heart of central London is completely deserted – but on Monday, it's going to be a massive hive of activity.
Around 1,000 men and women from all three services will be coming to the barracks to take part in a very special procession to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Before dawn broke on Saturday, they carried out their very last dress rehearsal – this was their last chance to familiarise themselves with the route and walk through the streets of London before they do it for real.
A lot of work has gone into these preparations to make sure this extremely special day is a success.
Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Foinette, the Brigade Major of the Household Division, spoke to BFBS Forces News about the significance of the parade 80 years on from the end of the war in Europe.
He said: "It's enormously poignant. And I had the privilege many years ago being on parade with my grandfather at the Cenotaph early in my career.
"So I think I had a feeling then of what it meant to him and his comrades that we take a moment just to remember what we owe [for the] freedom in which we live today."
Lt Col Foinette said the rehearsal had gone well. "As with all rehearsals, we've got a few points that we can take away to sharpen up for Monday," he explained.
"But I think we're pretty happy with what we've achieved so far."
With the last major rehearsal complete, he said there were only a few smaller elements remaining that needed to be nailed down before the actual event.
While formal parades demand concentration and absolute attention to detail, Lt Col Foinette said those taking part should do their best to enjoy the experience.
"I know it sounds obvious, but I think people should take the time to notice and enjoy it," he said.
"It can be quite difficult sometimes if you focus quite hard on what you're doing. You'll pass by in a blur, and you find that when you get to the end of it, you're not quite sure what's just happened.
"So I will be encouraging people to look up and just get their shoulders back and enjoy the sounds of the crowd and the music and the weather.
"Because that tends to produce a better parade if you do it that way."
One of the military musicians taking part in the rehearsal was Lance Corporal Alex Wallace of the Royal Marines Band Portsmouth.
"So we've just come off the early morning rehearsal in the dark," he said. "It was fabulous to get out there and on to the actual locations where I'll be performing.
"Slightly tricky to perform the music with not much light, but we made the best we could, and we got through all of the various possibilities.
It's a very powerful feeling to be part of walking through [London], even when you're not playing and just marching through in silence, just with the bass drum beat.
"It gives you a very great sense of pride to be going through that. And when you are playing, a lot of the times you're concentrating very hard on the music and also where you're going.
"But you try and take in the surroundings, where you are and pick up where you're going past. For example, going past the Cenotaph and then going... down The Mall.
"There's so much London iconography that we passed on our route."
Piccolo player Musician Caitlin Nicholl from the Band of the Irish Guards had to play her piccolo in the dark.
"I think it went as well as it could have," she said. "It's obviously very challenging trying to read your music in the dark.
"There are a few moments where it was questionable, but I think, all in all, it went incredibly well. And I'm really looking forward to Monday."
She explained what it was like to play her instrument while marching in formation and without much light to read her notes by.
"It's definitely a lot of muscle memory with the amount that you practise the pieces," she said. "It just kind of kicks in when you can't see, and a lot of turning to try and find the light as well.
"The piccolo is actually the highest-pitched instrument in the band, so it's going to be heard towering over the top of everyone else."
Like many other members of the Armed Forces, serving is a family tradition for Msn Nicholl. "My uncle used to be in the Band of the Irish Guards, so I'm sort of just following in his footsteps she said.
"It's definitely a proud moment. He was in quite a while ago, so it's changed quite a lot since then.
"But it's very good to be able to talk to him and get some tips, but a very, very proud occasion."
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