Robin Horsfall presents the fifth in a short series of humorous soldier’s memories.

5

John

In 1980 after B Squadron had successfully assaulted the Iranian Embassy in London we were loaded into the back of a large, yellow pantechnican truck and whisked away to Regents Park Barracks to organise our gear and return to Hereford. We were still the Counter Terrorist Team and we had to be ready for another call out.

As we arrived at the barracks we were informed that Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher would be coming to see us to say thank you. She arrived a short time later with her husband Dennis and after a few moments we lined up to shake hands with the ‘Iron Lady’. She was small and I noticed her thick make up as she laid her hand in mine. I was twenty-three years old and impressed.

A television had been placed in the corner of the large, unfurnished room so that we could watch the events that we had taken part in a couple of hours before. As we gathered for the news report Maggie stood in the front.

The BBC news report came on and we heard the music while the presenter made his announcements. We pushed and jostled for a view of the television but Maggie’s head and hair were causing a considerable obstruction to the view of at least one member of our team.

John’s Glaswegian voice boomed from the back of the room ‘Hey hun could ya git yer f***ing heed oot of the wee? I canna see the telly.

Some of us laughed and some grimaced but Maggie turned and said ‘Oh sorry of course’ and stepped to one side.

Everything in this story does bear a resemblance to persons who lived their lives to the full!

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