Coldstream Guards mark 375th anniversary with return to birthplace Berwick

Soldiers in full ceremonial uniform – red tunics and bearskin caps – boarded an early morning LNER train from King's Cross Station on Tuesday to mark the occasion, joined by the Band of the Coldstream Guards.
A quintet played on the concourse as the troops crossed the station to the platform with bayonets fixed.
Back in 1660 the regiment marched down from Berwick to help restore the monarchy, dissolve Parliament and bring King Charles II back to the throne.
The journey took them five weeks. Tuesday's return journey, by contrast, takes just a few hours – with the guards due back in London by evening.
Crowds lined the streets of Berwick on Tuesday morning to welcome the guardsmen, who paraded through the town before attending a Service of Thanksgiving at Berwick Parish Church.
The soldiers were joined by the Colonel of the Regiment, Lieutenant General Sir James Bucknall, and the Mayor of Berwick at the Guildhall for an inspection and civic reception.
The Coldstream Guards are the oldest continuously serving regiment in the British Army.
Formed in 1650 during the English Civil War, they have served in every major conflict since and earned 113 battle honours and 13 Victoria Crosses.
After returning to London, the regiment will be presented with new Colours at Windsor Castle before taking centre stage at Trooping the Colour on June 14, where they will troop the new flags for the King's official birthday.
Berwick Parish Church, built in part by Coldstream Guards in the 1650s using stone from Berwick Castle, still houses the regiment's old Colours.
The town granted the regiment the Freedom of Berwick in 2000.
The Coldstream Guards remain an active infantry unit, recently returning from Operation Shader in the Middle East and set to deploy on a UN peacekeeping mission to Cyprus later this year.
They were among the first British units to train Ukrainian soldiers in the UK, equipping them with vital frontline skills to defend against Russia's invasion.

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