A FORMER Lady Hawkins student was among the thousands of military personnel forming the Coronation parade last weekend.

Nathan Coleshill, 27, a gunner with the Queen's Royal Hussars, was one of 24 members of his regiment of around 500 selected to take part in the procession.

After weeks of rehearsals, often in the middle of the night, Nathan was, his father Graham reports, extremely proud to have been part of the day.

ALSO READ:

At home in Brilley, the family watched the TV avidly but were not able to catch sight of Nathan. Their son, however, was able to catch up, very briefly, with his girlfriend Margaux Lawley, a member of the Royal Medical Corps who was not part of the parade, but was on duty on the day.

Most recently, Nathan served in Poland for six months last year when British tanks were sent to bolster the NATO presence in the country.

He had, says his father, wanted to be in tanks since a tank-driving experience on his 13th birthday. But when he first joined the army he didn't succeed in his ambition and left, only to join again around three years later when he was told he could be in tanks. "It's an unusual story," admits Graham.