The Welsh Guards headed to Ridgway Court residential care home in Farnham this summer but with a change of uniform.

Instead of the usual red coat, black trousers and black bearskin hat with its white, green and white plume, they wore colourful shorts and Bula shirts, brightly coloured shirts with traditional Fijian patterns.

Some wore Sulas, vibrant kilt-like garments which both men and women in Fiji wear. These were no ordinary Welsh Guards – they were the regiment’s Fijian all-male choir.

The men were there, along with other army personnel from Aldershot, to entertain residents and their families at a summer party.

They not only sang but danced too and their family members, including children, joined in the dancing much to the delight of the residents.

Melanie Harris, the home’s manager, said: "We’re so grateful for the visit from our friends in the Fijian Welsh Guards. Sharing these moments with our residents, their families, and friends means the world to us here at Ridgway Court”.

The Ridgway has strong links with the local Fijian community who arranged for the choir to visit. There are several Fijian staff, including the long-serving Amelia Novu who has worked there for more than 10 years and whose husband serves in the Welsh Guards.

The Welsh Guards regiment is one of the Foot Guards regiments of the British Army. It was founded in 1915, and both takes part in military operations across the globe and has a ceremonial function, guarding the Royal Family and palaces such as Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London and conducting State Ceremonial duties.

There is a long history of Fijians joining the UK Armed Forces and, with between 1,500 and 2,000 serving, they currently make up the largest Commonwealth cohort of the 12,000 from Foreign and Commonwealth countries.