Spring Cleaning

As we moved into early January it was back to work with avengence. And with a little something added extra.

Apart from the usual patrolling and guarding that had become second nature over the past two years we now had the added bonus of cleaning everything.

In a few weeks we were to leave Northern Ireland for foreign climes and the camp had to be cleaner than it had been when we'd arrived before we could hand it over to the next unit.

I've never quite understood this passion for cleanliness.

Cleanliness I can understand. It's hygenic, looks good and gives the blokes something to do when there's nothing to do.

But cleaning every mark from linoleum, scrubbing walls, applying a high gloss to the sides of LandRovers and polishing their tyres was slightly beyond me.

I'm fairly confident that most of the work we did wouldn't be noticed by the incoming unit but it was done nevertheless.

It also left very little time for seeing the girl with red hair.