On the 26th of June 2024, after a day of updates, interesting discussions and catching up with old friends and acquaintances, at both the Brigade Briefing and the Sounding Retreat, over 250 members of the Brigade attended the Brigade Dinner Night in Old College Dinning Room, at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Guests included, Lieutenant General M R Elviss CB MBE, (Commander Field Army) and His Excellency Mr Gyan Chandra Acharya (Ambassador of Nepal to the United Kingdom).
The top table hosted senior guests. The other tables were all aligned to the six cap badges of the Brigade, with each of their senior officers and various guests on those tables. The Royal Gurkha Rifles hosted Ray Mears (TV presenter and bushcraft expert) who has spent some time with the Regiment in the past.
The top table was piped in, and Lieutenant General Gen Richard Wardlaw CB OBE (Colonel Commandant Brigade of Gurkhas) opened the evening thanking the Brigade for another great year and he thanked the Brigade whole heartfully for his time as Colonel Commandant and his previous time with the Brigade in earlier years, as this would be his last Brigade Dinner Night in the appointment.
During the meal, old friends and acquaintances shared stories of the last 12 months and further back, with some tables rotating their seating arrangements to be able to mix with as many people as possible in their groups.
The Band of the Brigade of Gurkhas woodwind group supplied music throughout the meal and performed the National Anthems of the United Kingdom and Nepal. The Band, supported by Bagpipers from across the Brigade, then marched into the Dining Room, performing several pieces of music which concluded with the Regimental marches for each of the cap badges. The conductor was Captain Esther Hayes (Director of Music).
We now look forward to next year’s dinner night.
