A member of the Warwickshire Yeomanry writing from Egypt says: The public gardens here are very beautiful, and of course more interesting to us because the majority of flowers and trees are strange. In one of them a little stream runs through with hundreds of gold fish in. I saw rather an amusing incident in one of the gardens last night. About a dozen soldiers were sitting on a bank singing hymns, and they were singing very well such hymns as “Onward Christian Soldiers” and “Rock of Ages”. They had an admiring circle of natives of all ages and both sexes. Presently along one of the paths appeared about a dozen natives of the class which in England we describe as “Nuts,” marching in half sections and each one playing a guitar or similar musical instrument. When they reached the “choir” party they halted and turning to the scholars solemnly played the chorus of “Tipperary” through twice, then with many bows and good nights, passed on. By the way, we have heard “Tipperary” played and dung more times since we left England than we should have done in twelve months at home. Once we had it played for our benefit by a band on a French battleship and we responded by singing, or trying to, their National Anthem.

Banbury Guardian, July 1915