As the old saying goes “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” and while the men worked long and hard, they also had time away from training. Perhaps the most frequent pastime involved a game of darts and a pint at the “Local”. As we have seen previously the Auxiliary Services Officer did a great deal to provide the troops with various forms of entertainment at the unit level such as games, sports equipment, films, and concerts. The Regiment also had an active sports program with the troops competing successfully at Regimental, Brigade, and Division levels.
In addition, the regiment as a whole and each sub-unit regularly organized dances which were typically and enthusiastically well attended by local members of the fairer sex. In conjunction with this, a point of pride for the Regiment was the number of occasions where the Commanding Officer received compliments from local authorities on the excellent behaviour and manners displayed by our soldiers.
In many cases our soldiers were from small towns throughout South Western Ontario and this was their first opportunity to be more than a few miles from home. At the time Canada was less than 100 years old and even cities like London and Toronto paled in comparison to the sophistication and historical grandeur of Great Britain. On leave many took the opportunity to visit relatives. Others took part in organized visits to nearby landmarks of cultural and historic significance.
However most preferred the excitement offered by the big cities such as London which was easily accessible by train. Here the entertainment opportunities were many and varied from cinemas, music halls, dance clubs, to Shakespearean theatre. One very popular spot was the Hippodrome and in the grand tradition of the theatre every where not even the blitz stopped the Show.