This year to celebrate Flashman’s birthday, 5^th May 1822, the society organised a jaunt to visit the King's Royal Hussars in Winchester, the surviving incarnation of the Flashman’s first regiment the 11^th Light Dragoons, which went on to become the 11^th Hussars ‘Prince Albert’s Own�E The good old ‘Cherry-Pickers!�E/P>

I travelled down to Winchester the night before in order to get settled in. The weather couldn’t have been better, bringing out all the girls in their shortest summer skirts. Winchester, I observed had more than it’s fair quota of girls, in fact the imbalance towards the fairer gender became more obvious when queues of girls started forming to get into the pubs. Girls either had to wait in line, or if they were lucky and accompanied by a boyfriend would be admitted straight away. It wasn’t long before a single guy would have several hangers on sweetly asking if he minded terribly if he could escort her and her numerous friends into a bar. I may move to Winchester one day.

Girls and bars aside Winchester is a very interesting and historic city. After strolling around to get my bearings I stepped into the Information centre. Winchester certainly has seen it all: it's been the capital of England, it has been conquered by Normans and ransacked by Roundheads, (and now the Flashman Society.) home of the Doomsday Book. The most famous inhabitant, was Saxon king Alfred the Great. An Arthurian round table hangs in the Great Hall, the last remaining part of Winchester Castle. William the Conqueror took over the English crown after beating Edward the Confessor in 1066. Then good times came to Winchester becoming joint capital with London (William played safe and was crowned in both cities), William also founded the present cathedral, many prominent residents of Winchester were buried in elaborate tombs in this ancient church - from Saxon English kings to the author Jane Austen who died in college Street in 1817.

One other attraction is Winchester College, founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and one of the best public schools in England. The barracks area is home to no less than five military museums: The Light Infantry Museum tells the story of a modern regiment, which includes the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the Gulf War. Nepalese soldiers are honoured in the Gurkha Museum; The Royal Green Jackets Museum has displays of campaigns and uniforms, and The Royal Hampshire Regiment Museum records the history of the County Regiment.

&#After perusing through Winchester’s history I went to search out the best Winchester had to offer in the way of victuals. The speciality in Winchester turned out to ‘bangers and mash�E So filled to gills with beer and sausages I returned to the hotel to get a good nights rest.

Saturday morning everyone straggled in generally heading straight for the bar. The sun was out and for those driving down it had been a very hot journey. Once introduced and everybody had got to know the new members we hadn’t met before, mainly Dave Edwards. Committee members Mark Willis and Allan Holden also honoured us with their presence. We started out towards the town, on our way we spotted a restaurant called the ‘Gurkha Chef�Eand immediately resolved that this was the place we’d be eating in the evening. (The other choice being ‘Bangers and Mash�E) Allan then took the lead, surging ahead until we thought we’d lost him. He’d run straight in the first pub, only to shoot straight out again having decided he didn’t like the beer on offer. Bemused we hurried after him into the next establishment where we discussed our plans. Out of the five museums we decided to see the Hussar’s, Gurkha and the Green Jackets. Sometime later we did arrive at the barracks. The Hussar’s museum was the smallest out of the three, the regiment having only moved there recently, I also discovered that the Royal Hussar’s had a Northern base in Preston. [Watch this space. I’m organising a trip there at the request Northern members for mid to late August.] The most impressive levée swords were on display, one which featured battle honours from Waterloo through to include all the battles of the Crimea, taking in a few campaigns in India along the way. An impressive career indeed!

The Gurkha and Green Jacket museum are well worth a visit, featuring a model of the battle of Waterloo and is also staffed by local veterans. The Gurhka museum gives a fascinating history of Gurkha regiment.

We left the museums about 2 O’clock hungry and thirsty. The cup final had started and pubs were packed with people watching the game, but we easily found a free table in an Irish theme pub where we could chill out. The food was filling and well worth the wait. Dave picked himself a huge steak, I ended up with ‘Bangers�Eand ‘bubble and squeak�Efor a change; then went on to finish Dave’s steak and chips for afters.

After lunch we went out into the sun to look around the rest of Winchester. Allan led the way into and straight out of several pubs; too noisy, didn’t like the music and didn’t like the beer. After aimlessly wondering I managed to steer the group to a pub I had been to the night before located next to the cathedral.

Here, the folk bands who were scheduled to be playing in the Cathedral for a festival that evening were warming up. We joined them for a pint or two.

The ale around Winchester was passable, not that I drank too much beer I was drinking my own concoction: Brandy and Red-Bull. The Brandy kills the taste of the Red-Bull and the Red-Bull bolsters the stimulating effect of the Brandy. A very potent mixture indeed. A cocktail surely worthy of the name ‘Flashman�E I hardly slept a wink that night, but still got up at Seven O’clock in the morning to attend a Sabre Match in King’s Norton.

The afternoon proceed slowly we took in all the sights and most of the pubs. Mark Willis remained sober, he’s a responsible Dad now he tell us. He’s been reading Flashman books to the baby since the day it came out of hospital. Allan was his usual self, that is out spoken and just occasionally foul mouthed. Dave, who I had taken as being English when we first broke the ice over a pint in the hotel bar that morning, had turned more and more Welsh drink by drink. By the end of the evening he was talking Welsh with an accent thicker than Di the station master. He eventually missed his train and I had hold him up by his collar as he struggled to sign in at the hotel reception.

However before the evening ended we trooped off back to the Gurkha Chef and ordered plates and plates of lovely steaming curries to end the evening with. Happy Birthday to Sir Harry! And Damn eyes if you weren’t there!

Max May 2001

The King's Royal Hussars Museum, Winchester

Peninsula Barracks

WINCHESTER

SO23 8TS

Telephone Enquiries: (01962) 828539