All to be seated by 18.45 hours, stated the official instructions, but long before that every chair was occupied, even on the gallery; for the rest, myself included, it was standing-room only.

While waiting for the Queen Mother to arrive, there was quite a lot to hold one's attention; the Lord Provosts and other official guests came down from the Officers' Mess, the Guard of Honour formed up in the centre of the Drill Hall and then, promptly at 7 pm, the big moment came.

When Her Majesty was seated, the Guard of Honour was dismissed, the Pipes and Drums marched into the Hall, and Colonel Niekirk said:

It is most gratifying for us that the five banners will be replaced and that the new ones are to be presented here this evening by the Lord Provosts or the Lady Provost of the four cities and the Provost of the District of Perth and Kinross. We are most grateful to them and we warmly welcome them here this evening.

For the first time in our history, so far as I can discover, we are having the privilege of new drums being presented at the same time as Pipe Banners. For these drums we are indebted to the members of the Officers' Mess, the Sergeants' Mess, the Regimental Lodge and, perhaps most of all, to Mrs Marion Miles who is so kindly presenting a drum in memory of her late husband. Peter served as an Officer with the old First Battalion, and subsequently with the London Scottish Cadets. This drum will be a fitting memorial to his service to the Regiment.

We are most fortunate too in that, through the offices of Mr Stewart, the Regimental Lodge is, in addition, presenting three Silver Bugles, each inscribed in memory of one of our Victoria Cross holders, Train, Cruickshank and Mitchell.

The Regimental Gazette in reporting for posterity the events of that July evening in 1951 described the occasion as "one of the greatest events in the history of the London Scottish". Your Majesty you were then graciously pleased to present to your Regiment your own Banner which has been worn by your piper ever since. Your Banner, which we have always carried with the greatest pride, almost fell to pieces a few years ago and you very kindly arranged for it to be replaced.  As you will have noticed, it is being worn on parade today by Pipe-Major Duncan.

But above all else, Your Majesty, it is to you we give a very special welcome this evening. As always we are delighted to have you with us at 59 Buckingham Gate and tonight to receive the new Drums, and Banners and Bugles on behalf of your Regiment. Your interest in and concern for your Regiment is well known, and on behalf of all London Scots I do thank you very sincerely for coming here this evening, as our Honorary Colonel, and thus honouring your Regiment.

Your Majesty may I ask you if you would now receive the drums and bugles?

The drummers came forward at this point, and Her Majesty then received the new ones from Captain R. Robinson on behalf of the Officers' Mess; Sergeant J. Byrne, on behalf of the Sergeants' Mess; Mr C. Rylands, Master, including three silver bugles, on behalf of the London Scottish Rifles Lodge' and Mrs Marion Miles, in memory of her late husband, Peter. As each donor retired, Major Layden handed the drum to a drummer, and when all four had been received, the drummers rejoined the Band.

When this part of the presentation was completed with precision, Pipe Major Duncan came forward with five pipers. Their old banners were removed. In turn, each Lord Provost and Provost presented the new banners to the Honorary Colonel, which were then passed to the Pipe Major who tied them on to the drones of the pipes held by the five pipers.

After the Pipe Major and the pipers had rejoined the Band, Her Majesty addressed the packed Drill Hall:

"Colonel Niekirk, Major Layden, my Lord Provosts, Lady Provosts, members of The London Scottish, Ladies and Gentlemen.

"It is nearly forty-five years since I first became your Honorary Colonel and during that time I have watched over your fortunes with great interest and, at times of stress, with concern. You may be smaller in establishment today than you were in the past, but I have no doubt at all that if called upon you would acquit yourself with just as much distinction as your predecessors. I know that service in the Territorial Army today is very demanding of a young man's leisure time and, as a result, upon the support of his family, but what better service can a man give in his spare time than to serve his country as you Major Layden and the London Scottish do today."

When Her Majesty had resumed her seat, the Pipes and Drums gave a splendid performance starting with a rousing Drum Salute. The programme was The Dornoch Links, March; My Love She's But a Lassie Yet, March; Hieland Whisky, Strathspey; Kneave Knick Knack, Reel; Fair Young Mary, Slow- March; The Irish Washer- woman, Jig; The Hills of Glenorchy, March; The Rock an' Wee Pickle Tow, March; The Mingulay Boat Song, Slow Air; Queen Elizabeth's March; The Glendarnel Highlanders, March.

The applause at the end was loud, lon@,, and well deserved. It was some minutes before Major Layden was able to say.:

"Your Majesty, Colonel Niekirk, Lord Provosts, Lady Provosts, Ladies and Gentlemen.

"The playing by the Pipes and Drums has brought the (official part of the evening almost to a close. It remains for me to thank your Majesty for honouring us with your presence here tonight. I am sorry that this has not been a perfect summer evening as it was on the previous occasion to which your Majesty has referred. It would perhaps have been unreasonable to expect such a thing at the beginning of April; we can only hope that the occasion will be memorable for other reasons than the weather.

"I am very much obliged for your Majesty's favourable comments on the drill of the guard, and we shall no doubt find out from the correspondence columns of the Regimental Gazette whether the music tonight was as good or - dare I say it - better than the music in 1951.

" As your Majesty has pointed out, we are smaller in establishment today than we were in the past. We are the more conscious of your Majesty's continuing interest and concern for our well-being. I think I am correct in saying that The London Scottish has been one of your Majesty's regiments for longer than any other regiment in the British Army. That is a matter in which we take some little pride. We thank your Majesty most sincerely for coming here tonight to receive on our behalf the new drums, bugles and banners, and we look forward to the next occasion on which we may have the honour of entertaining your Majesty at Buckingham Gate.

" Before we draw this evening 's proceedings to a close, I wonder if I may prevail upon your Majesty to perform one further service on behalf of the regiment tonight. I am very pleased to be able to announce that 2nd Lieutenant David Hillman has been awarded the Territorial Army Efficiency Medal in consequence of his twelve years' service in the T&AVR, formerly as a Sergeant and for some time now as an Officer. We would be most grateful if your Majesty would present this Medal."

Her Majesty was, of course, delighted, and David Hillman stepped forward and the TEM was pinned to his tunic by our Honorary Colonel.

This formal, official, part of the evening thus came to an end. The Queen Mother went to the Officers' Mess, accompanied by the principal guests who included (besides the Lord Provosts) Major-General J. H. Forster, Director, Volunteers, Territorials and Cadets, and Mrs Forster; Major-General J. Swinton, GOC London District, and Mrs Swinton; Colonel A. J. Watt, Honorary Colonel 1/51 Highland Volunteers, and Mrs Watt; Major-General Sir Douglas Kendrew, Knights of the Round Table, and Lady Kendrew., Mr Peter Hasslacher, Master of the Worshipful Company of Distillers, and Mrs Hasslacher; Brigadier A. J. Woolford, Secretary, T&AVR Association for Greater London; Brigadier J. N. Ghika, Chief of Staff, London District, and Mrs Ghika; the Rev Dr J. Fraser McLuskey, the Regimental Padre, and Mrs. McLuskey, and Lt-Colonel G. B. Murray, CO, 1/51 Highland Volunteers, and Mrs Murray.

While Her Majesty was in the Officers' Mess, the Drill Hall became a scene of bustling activity; the chairs all vanished, and curtain drew back revealing tempting food and drink. Old friends and comrades were soon chatting away and it was surprising how time had slipped away unnoticed. Those whom we thought we saw last year reminded us that it could have been no nearer than ten years ago or in some cases even longer.

Then, suddenly, Her Majesty was back among us, pausing for a word here and there with a regimental personality, including Pipe Major de Laspee and his wife who had come up from the West Country. All too soon, the Queen Mother reached the main doors and turned to wave goodbye. Her London Scots cheered her until her car had driven away.

So concluded the formal evening, but large numbers stayed on in the messes and canteen to make a good evening of a memorable occasion.

Later Colonel Niekirk received this letter from Jeremy Mainwaring-Burton, Her Majesty's Equerry:

Clarence House April 6, 1979

At Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother's bidding I write to tell you what very great pleasure it gave Her Majesty to be present when the London Scottish received new Pipe Banners, Drums and Bugles on Wednesday evening.

Your Honorary Colonel was particularly impressed by the smartness and bearing of the Guard of Honour, and was deeply moved by the exemplary standard of the performance by the Pipes and Drums. Furthermore, Queen Elizabeth was delighted to have had the opportunity to meet so many members of the Regiment, their families and friends, and of course the donors of the Pipe Banners, Drums and Bugles. It was, without doubt, a happy and successful evening, and one which Her Majesty will remember for many years.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you on behalf of Mrs Campbell-Preston and myself for making our evening so enjoyable.

Of course, no account of the evening will be complete without thanking Colonel Harry Wilson and his organisers who ensured that everything went off with clockwork precision and efficiency, and not least to the many cadets, who acted stewards, who lined the steps into 59 and who opened the door of the Queen Mother's car.