Their uniform is still in the Tudor style and today costs about £4,000. He brought his complete uniform with him and explained what all the decorations signified and when it was passed around it was surprising how heavy and ornate it was, particularly the hat. They are sometimes mistaken for d Beefeaters, who have a similar uniform and are the guards at the tower of London. The nickname of Beefeater originated in the 17th century when the Grand Duke of Tuscany referred to them as beefeaters as they were eaters of a considerable amount of beef which they were allowed daily by the Court.
It really was most interesting as he gave quite a detailed history of the Guard and told many anecdotes from the many occasions he has attended since becoming a Yeoman. A request was made for prizes for the tombola stall which Oakley and Deane will be holding at the Oakley Village show on August 8th and also for cakes for the teas which will be provided by Oakley Afternoon WI. Details were given for the trip to Newbury Races in August and names were taken for the Autumn meeting of the Hampshire Federation which will be held at The Anvil when Peter and Dan Snow will be guest speakers. There have been many special Centenary events arranged in the area for this the 100th year of the WI and the next will be a lunch which will be held at Audleys Wood Hotel in Sept.