On the front of one of today's newspapers there is a photograph of one of the Household Cavalry horses splashing in the sea at Holkham - yes, even cavalry horses enjoy their summer holidays.

I remembered a wonderful event that happened years ago, when we were living in rural Hampshire.

At that time the cavalry used to take their horses to camp on Salisbury Plain, for the summer break. When the holiday was over they would take them back to London, and would ride them on the little country lanes as far as they could.  One day I saw a long string of horses coming over the hill, set to go right past our house. Only my youngest was at home (the others were in school), so I picked her up and went out to the front, by the road, to watch them go by.

As they approached, I could see that they were a very large number, riding two abreast. They neared, and the leader turned to the man next to him, and spoke. This one was the bugler. He tootled a command and the entire company broke into a trot.  Most of them were smiling as they went past, and they left a Mum and little girl nearly in tears at the delight of it all. They did a parade, just for us!