Exactly why I went to the Crimea on the 150th anniversary of the Charge of the Light Brigade (a subject that doesn't particularly interest me) I don't really know - apart from the fact that it sounded a fairly bizarre place to go. Bizarre it certainly was. My fellow travelling companions included a couple of World War II veterans of the Arctic convoys in their 80s, a Czech girl in her 20s, a number of descendants of participants of the Charge of the Light Brigade and others who had a fascination with the famous military disaster of 150 years ago.

A re-enactment of the charge was supposed to be happening on the actual 150th anniversary, but the organisers had overlooked the fact the the location of the Charge was now a vineyard. A commemoration of some sort did take place with Prince Philip in attendance.