Beefeaters wanted: care of ravens among the caw duties

THE Tower of London recently welcomed new ravens inside its historic walls, and will soon open its gates to more new faces.

In a rare recruitment drive, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP), which runs the Tower, is hiring two more Yeoman Warders.

There are 37 Yeoman Warders, also known as Beefeaters, guarding the Tower of London, and the HRP has two vacancies. Beefeaters safeguard the crown jewels, and historically guarded inmates locked up in the Tower. Nowadays, they act as tour guides when not performing ceremonial duties.

Yeoman Warders earn a salary of £30,000, working a 36-hour week.

The advertisement states their main responsibilities “include ensuring that all visitors receive a royal welcome, conducting large parties of visitors, relating its history and stories, contributing to safety and security and taking part in ceremonial duties and parades”.

Beefeaters must have served 22 years in the Armed Forces, and hold the Medal for Long Service and Good Conduct. The 37 Beefeaters live with their families inside the fortified complex and the recruitment drive comes as the first ravens in 30 years were born inside the Tower, protecting it from a prophesied demise.

SIR – As a retired senior captain in the Royal Navy, I am appalled that a person of such stature and capability as Commodore Nick Cooke-priest has been removed from his command on such a trivial matter as “misusing” his official car (report, May 18).

Punishment should fit the crime, and unless there are other underlying circumstances, this is grossly disproportionate and brings the senior service into disrepute.

Captain Ted Hackett RN (retd) Petersfield, Hampshire

SIR – The fact is that the use and misuse of RN cars has concerned senior officers for a long time.

Voicing concerns over the seeming underutilisation of vehicles, the Admiralty Board commissioned a short study in 1981. One of the accepted recommendations was that, rather than have an allocated driver sit around all day, when there was a genuine need for an official vehicle to be on standby, certain officers should have them as self-drive cars. From the outset, however, it was part of the naval DNA that they should be used for official purposes only.

It seems a very hard penalty for Commodore Cooke-priest, and I hope he bounces back. Rev Nicholas Lang

West Wickham, Kent