please empty your brain below

Fun fact: there's a huge bunker directly under the lawn full of tanks/armoured vehicles in case of some kind of invasion.
Who knew? Thanks DG for once again shining a light on another facet of our great city.
I read somewhere that a couple of years ago, the parachute display took an interesting turn when one of the skydivers landed on City Road, taking a bus driver somewhat by surprise.
"The oldest" themed week then?
There is another way to get in without being or having being a soilder. Be invited to one of the many corporate events that are hosted there. I used to work at Barbican and would often go swimming in a gym whose pool overlooked the parade ground. You'd regularly see corporate stuff being set up. Even a fairground once.
The grounds are often used for Rugby and Cricket games that are open to the public. I've been a couple of times to watch the London Broncos play a pre-season Rugby League game. No proper stands, you just stand near the touch-line. As you say, one feels privileged just to be there.
Hope you haven't joined up DG. We don't want anything interrupting your blogging.
how the heck do you find out about all these quirky things

dg writes: IanVisits had all the details on Monday.
My father was a member while working near the City, taking part largely for the ceremony but also I think out of a sense of duty. Some of the records pre-1922 are available online here apparently.
Yesterday evening I happened to be at a talk taking place a building that backs right onto the HAC grounds. When the first big bang went off, followed by sounds of gunfire, etc, several people became... slightly concerned!
How marvelous! Only in London!
I used to work right across the street from this, on Finsbury Square. During the US-led invasion of Iraq, Tony Blair would regularly criticize Saddam Hussein for siting military installations in the heart of urban areas, which always seemed a bit hyocritical!
Spot on in your write up. I didn't bother with a burger as the queue always seemed to be the same length and I left just before the start of the 'contemporary operations display'. Pedestrians by Finsbury Square didn't bat an eyelid despite all the noise from the explosions and gun fire which suddenly erupted when the display started.
A bloke rang into Radio London about this telling a story of when way back, perhaps 1940s, he was allowed in with his dad to have a kick about with his football. Can't see that happening now..
A few years ago the Whisky Live event was at the HAC. It was impressive and a beautiful place to get pished. The organizers were fanatical about preventing exhibitors giving out free drams, but that wasn't the HAC's fault.

Your blog had the hilarious 2012 Olympics sightseer's guide, didn't it?










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