Chester837 Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 The old headquarters of the Queens Westminster Rifles, London Regt was located at 58 Buckingham Gate. As many of you may know, this premises has been owned for many years by the Met police. The building is used for 'operational feeding' for police on (mainly ceremonial) operations in central London. I'm sure riflemen of 1914 would still recognise the inside and the davits used to hang the sectional model of the Titanic during the Board of Trade enquiry still hang on the wall. Rumour has it that in a bid to reduce costs, the police are shelving operational feeding and 58 Buck Gate will be put up for sale, with a hotel the most probable purchaser. If so, it would be sad to see yet another piece of our history disappear for good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 What is operational feeding? A sort of Metropolitan Pret a Manger? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester837 Posted 22 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2012 Ha, yeah right! I would suggest it is more akin something the PBI's in the trenches would recognise!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 59 Buckingham Gate (next door) was the home of the London Scottish: the regiment moved out in the 80's and the building, much changed, is now something to do with the South Korean Embassy. Buckingham Gate is 200 yards from New Scotland Yard, so using 58 as a site for feeding police officers seems sensible, as it is also, as the neme imples, very close to Buck House and other sites of interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester837 Posted 22 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2012 59 is home to a number of 'societies'; the Anglo Australian, Japanese etc. 60 is the Korean embassy. 58 still has the Portcullis device of the QWR's over the entrance portico. I have never seen any trace of the London Scots on the facade of 59, I'll have a really good look next time I'm passing that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 There's a memorial outside, under the portico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester837 Posted 22 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2012 Ah, nice one. I'll have gander next time I'm over in that direction. Been passed that building so many times but never noticed it. Nice to see there is some permanent record of what was there in years gone by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 What is operational feeding? A sort of Metropolitan Pret a Manger? ... or maybe a Pleb à Manger ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 There's a memorial outside, under the portico 59 Buckingham Gate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
centurion Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 Looks very new. When was the photo taken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 I am afraid that I have just stolen it (the photo, not the plaque) from the internet http://www.plaquesof...uk/page2377.htm I have just checked the London Scottish website but there appears to be no mention of the plaque or its date of installation. If nobody here provides the information, I will certainly know someone (I hope) who knows the answer. Ian . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chester837 Posted 22 December , 2012 Author Share Posted 22 December , 2012 I know a guy that was in the London Jocks; I'll ask if he knows anything. ... or maybe a Pleb à Manger ? Oh, very good sir, very good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 The plaque outside 59 has certainly been there for 4 years: that's the first time I recall seeing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 Pity about the capital S in stood. ( on behalf of the RC of Sticklers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 Pity about the capital S in stood. ( on behalf of the RC of Sticklers) It's in blank verse; poetry, pure poetry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daggers Posted 22 December , 2012 Share Posted 22 December , 2012 Blankety blank... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Riley Posted 23 December , 2012 Share Posted 23 December , 2012 I have just checked the London Scottish website but there appears to be no mention of the plaque or its date of installation. If nobody here provides the information, I will certainly know someone (I hope) who knows the answer. Ian . I have just checked with a friend who was Regimenal Colonel of the London Scottish. The plaque seems to go back to before his time in office (so I think that takes us back ten years) and he thought that it was the business of a predecessor in probably the mid to late 1980s, although it looks quite recent in the photo. That may reflect the age of the photo, however. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 23 December , 2012 Share Posted 23 December , 2012 It is also under cover and on a wall well sheltered from the elements, so may well (like me) look far younger than its true age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve hammond Posted 2 December , 2013 Share Posted 2 December , 2013 Here is a pic I have of number 58 back in the day, Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Pepper Posted 24 November , 2018 Share Posted 24 November , 2018 Hi, I've just stumbled on this thread and have a little information. My Grandfather George Robert Miles formerly Pte A/205365 of 8th KRRC and his wife Dorothy moved his family from Pluckley in Kent, I think because after WW1 work in the brickfields there dried up. They took up residence in 58 Buckingham Gate and ran the drill hall before, throughout the whole of the second war and beyond. I have a handwritten diary of their time during the war years of the family's daily lives there. In it he notes such things as air raids, which buildings had been hit by bombs the exact dates of events i.e Cologne taken, allies cross the rhine. The comings and goings of the regiment there. It also includes the daily routines of maintenance stocks, stores visitors etc. My mother and her brother and sister visiting from where they were evacuated. Its fascinating reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 24 November , 2018 Share Posted 24 November , 2018 1 hour ago, Pat Pepper said: Its fascinating reading. Sounds it. Has it ever been transcribed? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Admin Michelle Young Posted 24 November , 2018 Admin Share Posted 24 November , 2018 Used to go to there in the early years of the WFA post November 11th Cenotaph and Guards' Chapel for lunch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Pepper Posted 24 November , 2018 Share Posted 24 November , 2018 Hi Steven. No it hasn't been transcribed. I have had it in my possession since my mum died and absolutely love it. I have considered taking it to a museum, maybe the imperial war museum next time I'm in London to see if it is of any interest. Its in quite a fragile state so I don't like to handle it too much. I've attached some photographs of pages from it to give you a taste of the sort of things in it. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Broomfield Posted 24 November , 2018 Share Posted 24 November , 2018 Smashing. Certainly needs archiving. The Rifles Museum in Winchester keeps some London regiment stuff: might they be interested? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Pepper Posted 24 November , 2018 Share Posted 24 November , 2018 Steven, I would like perhaps to copy (Transcribe it) but keep the original for obvious sentimental reasons. I would be more than happy to share it's contents with anyone that is interested. Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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