06.10.2026
Over thirty members of Ashford Place Memory and Dementia Café recently spent a very interesting afternoon examining artefacts from the National Army Museum. The Museum, which is located beside the Royal Hospital Museum in Chelsea, provides outreach visits to Dementia Cafes and Ashford Place was delighted to welcome Daniel, one of the Museum’s historians with his large assortment of army memorabilia. The focus of the afternoon was on the uniforms - hats, helmets, jackets and coats worn by the different regiments of the British army since it was founded officially in 1707. Prior to this, armies were run by the monarch of the time so the group were surprised to learn that it was Oliver Cromwell who formed a New Model Army in 1645 and King Charles II established the first permanent standing army in 1660, however it wasn’t until 1707 that the first official British Army was created when England and Scotland united into the Kingdom of Great Britain.
Daniel displayed historical photographs of the different jackets and hats being worn in battle and spoke of the different styles of uniform worn when the army was operating overseas from the red Fez to the camouflage beige ‘sun’ hat for deserts and the tin hats worn in trench warfare. Likewise, the jackets were of different materials ranging from wool to cotton and the group got to examine the weight and texture of coats and jackets worn by the Coldstream Guards, The Women’s Army Auxiliary and the Home Guards etc. Everyone agreed the green Great Coat was their favourite, and Volunteer Rekha was happy to model it for the group.
Daniel also spoke of the important role women played in the army especially in the nursing corps and he displayed the distinctive red cloaks which they wore over their uniforms and pointed out the badges which they had sewn on the insides which were a record of the regiments they treated or the countries in which they served.
Before leaving, Daniel who was born in County Tipperary, chatted with many of the Irish Decafe members present, some of whom were also from Tipperary.
Ashford Place Decafe expressed their gratitude to Daniel and the Army Museum for a most enjoyable and informative afternoon.
Ashford Place Decafe meets every Tuesday afternoon from 2 – 4pm in The Mezzanine.