This is Bristol -- David Clensy meets two of the young cadets chosen for a special honour as the Lord Lieutenant's Cadets for 2013 For Josh Shuttleworth, a lifelong passion for aviation meant that the decision to join the Air Training Corps was an easy decision at the age of 14. "When I first heard about it from a neighbour I thought it sounded brilliant," he says. "I went along with him to the Bristol Wing of the Air Training Corps (ATC) one day, and I've never looked back since." Now the 18-year-old from Downend has been chosen for a special honour – to represent the ATC as one of the Lord Lieutenant's Cadets for the year. Each year the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol chooses cadets of special merit to join her for important civic occasions, and Josh says he was delighted to have the opportunity to assist the current Lord Lieutenant, Mary Prior, in the honorary role. For Josh, it's the icing on the cake of his ATC career, as he prepares to go to the University of the West of England to study aeronautical engineering. After graduating he hopes to go on to serve with the RAF. "My time with the ATC has given me some great experiences," he tells me. "One of the real highlights for me was getting the opportunity to take the controls for the first time in a glider. For a lad who has grown up obsessed with all aspects of flying, that was quite something." And Josh proved himself to be quite an adept glider pilot – so much so that he was later allowed to fly solo, and after taking his advanced glider training and earning the gold wings that are now proudly stitched to his ATC uniform, he even went on to help to train other young cadets hoping to experience the thrill of flight. Josh also enjoyed marching in a parade through London to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the cadets last year, and he travelled to Normandy to take part in a service to pay tribute to those who fell on the beaches on and after D-Day in the battle to liberate Europe. "That was quite an experience, to be there and able to meet some of the veterans who had fought on the beaches on D Day and lived to tell the tale," he says. The journey to become one of the Lord Lieutenant's cadets for this year was very different for Cadet Sergeant Major Nino Freuler. The 18-year-old Clifton College boarder is Swiss-born, and is a long way from his wealthy parents' home in Lichtenstein. But he shares with Bristolian Josh that same spirit to do his best as a cadet. Nino joined Clifton College's Combined Cadet Force (CCF) shortly after arriving at the school. "I decided I wanted to join the army element of the CCF, because, being from landlocked Switzerland, I felt experience of being part of the navy wouldn't serve me very well in the future," Nino says, with deadpan Swiss delivery, before adding, "Switzerland does not have a navy." Nino is hoping to secure a place at New College, Oxford, to read philosophy, politics and economics. "I aspire towards a career in the diplomatic service," he says. He has certainly had plenty of diplomatic experience so far in his year as a Lord Lieutenant's Cadet. "I was lucky enough to accompany the Lord Lieutenant for the Queen's visit to Bristol earlier this year," he says. "That was really quite an honour. The Duke of Edinburgh even spoke to me. He struggled to understand my accent at first, being Swiss, but then once he caught what I was saying, he said how happy he was to meet me. That was very nice." As one of the Lord Lieutenant's Cadets, Nino was also called upon to give a Bible reading at Clifton College's Christmas carol service in December. "That was quite something, to stand up and give a reading in the school chapel," he says. "I was a little nervous, but it is all very good experience I think."
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.
This is Bristol -- David Clensy meets two of the young cadets chosen for a special honour as the Lord Lieutenant's Cadets for 2013 For Josh Shuttleworth, a lifelong passion for aviation meant that the decision to join the Air Training Corps was an easy decision at the age of 14. "When I first heard about it from a neighbour I thought it sounded brilliant," he says. "I went along with him to the Bristol Wing of the Air Training Corps (ATC) one day, and I've never looked back since." Now the 18-year-old from Downend has been chosen for a special honour – to represent the ATC as one of the Lord Lieutenant's Cadets for the year. Each year the Lord Lieutenant of Bristol chooses cadets of special merit to join her for important civic occasions, and Josh says he was delighted to have the opportunity to assist the current Lord Lieutenant, Mary Prior, in the honorary role. For Josh, it's the icing on the cake of his ATC career, as he prepares to go to the University of the West of England to study aeronautical engineering. After graduating he hopes to go on to serve with the RAF. "My time with the ATC has given me some great experiences," he tells me. "One of the real highlights for me was getting the opportunity to take the controls for the first time in a glider. For a lad who has grown up obsessed with all aspects of flying, that was quite something." And Josh proved himself to be quite an adept glider pilot – so much so that he was later allowed to fly solo, and after taking his advanced glider training and earning the gold wings that are now proudly stitched to his ATC uniform, he even went on to help to train other young cadets hoping to experience the thrill of flight. Josh also enjoyed marching in a parade through London to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the cadets last year, and he travelled to Normandy to take part in a service to pay tribute to those who fell on the beaches on and after D-Day in the battle to liberate Europe. "That was quite an experience, to be there and able to meet some of the veterans who had fought on the beaches on D Day and lived to tell the tale," he says. The journey to become one of the Lord Lieutenant's cadets for this year was very different for Cadet Sergeant Major Nino Freuler. The 18-year-old Clifton College boarder is Swiss-born, and is a long way from his wealthy parents' home in Lichtenstein. But he shares with Bristolian Josh that same spirit to do his best as a cadet. Nino joined Clifton College's Combined Cadet Force (CCF) shortly after arriving at the school. "I decided I wanted to join the army element of the CCF, because, being from landlocked Switzerland, I felt experience of being part of the navy wouldn't serve me very well in the future," Nino says, with deadpan Swiss delivery, before adding, "Switzerland does not have a navy." Nino is hoping to secure a place at New College, Oxford, to read philosophy, politics and economics. "I aspire towards a career in the diplomatic service," he says. He has certainly had plenty of diplomatic experience so far in his year as a Lord Lieutenant's Cadet. "I was lucky enough to accompany the Lord Lieutenant for the Queen's visit to Bristol earlier this year," he says. "That was really quite an honour. The Duke of Edinburgh even spoke to me. He struggled to understand my accent at first, being Swiss, but then once he caught what I was saying, he said how happy he was to meet me. That was very nice." As one of the Lord Lieutenant's Cadets, Nino was also called upon to give a Bible reading at Clifton College's Christmas carol service in December. "That was quite something, to stand up and give a reading in the school chapel," he says. "I was a little nervous, but it is all very good experience I think."
Reported by This is 2 hours ago.