 Coming to you live from my home office in Makiki, and from downtown Honolulu, from the studios of ThinkTech Hawaii. Today, our topic of discussion will be on health on the front line. It's vital to maintain your physical and mental health today more than ever. What I would like you to take away from today's discussion is the idea that living a life which is healthy both physically and mentally allows you to really live your life. Today we are very honored to welcome a dear friend Moina Cameron, who in 2007, after serving for 22 years in the British Army, became the first, mind you, the first woman to be appointed as a human water or beef eater at the Tower of London. The beef eaters are the guardians of the tower and they guard the palace for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Aloha Moina and welcome to Hawaii. Aloha. Please share a little bit about yourself so our audience can get to hear your beautiful accent and get to know you. Well, first of all, thank you very much for inviting me. This is really exciting. Just to remind everybody though that it is it's one o'clock in the morning here in London. Anyway, so yes, my name is Moira. I was born and brought up in the west coast of Scotland. And it's an area that is very quiet, very rural. There's not much really not much in the way of work. It's very tourist oriented and I really, I really needed to get away from the area. My mother, I was a bit of a wild child. And my mother, she very strongly supported me in this. She used a bit of reverse psychology when I said I wanted to join the army. And the reason I wanted to join is because my brother had been in the army. And every time he came back, he just, there was just something about him. He had the self confidence he had. He's bearing you stood properly and the everything was different about him. And he also had money money in his pocket, which was always something. That's a good persuasion. The stance, the standing up straight, the discipline. That's all, that's all wonderful. But just tell us a little bit more about the beautiful sites and what was it like growing up in Scotland? Scotland is, it's absolutely beautiful. There is no two ways about it. When it's sunny, there can probably be very few places in earth that will ever rival it, especially when I was brought up. I lived halfway up a hill. So we looked over a lot and across the other side of the hills. And it was just very, very beautiful. But when it was cold and it was winter, it was wet and miserable. So, you know, you had to, yeah, you really had the polar opposites. You had lovely summers. I know, I know we have a beautiful picture of your there you go. Yeah. You said you love so well. And as you were growing up, that's what you were surrounded by. Yeah, that's it. That's from that's from my bedroom window. Yeah. Wow, gorgeous. Just like Hawaii. Tell us a little bit more about your family. Is it just you and your brother? There's my brother. He's five years older than me. And then there's me and then my mum and dad, they split up. But my, that's my brother and me there. Wow, look at that picture. I could reach the piano. I was playing it. Whether it was music or not was, I thought it was a symphony. My mother wasn't too keen on it. But then my father, he, he had another, he had another daughter, my sister, and she has got, she's got two boys. So yeah, so I've got two nephews. My family, my cousins and I were all quite close. Wow. And that's so important. Yeah, very much. Do you go back to Scotland to visit? I go back about normally twice a year, normally. Yeah, but they come down here as well because they love it. And my nephews were down last year. And they just, it was the first time in London. Really? Yes, first time in London. And it was the first time my sister had been to London. She's been down to the south before, but not actually London. I meet her. Yeah, you see her twice. Wow, that's amazing. It's fabulous. Wow. And so you had a beautiful childhood growing up in Scotland. So again, what made you decide to join the Army, Moira? Just because of my brother, really, and it was, and I knew that I had to get away. There wasn't going to be the work for me there. You know, I just, I needed to stretch my wings a little bit more. And because he had such a, you know, this bearing and he just, he just looked different. I just wanted a bit of it. So I thought, well, I can always try it. And if it doesn't work out, then it doesn't work out. So my mother gave me three years. In fact, she didn't give me three years. She said I wouldn't finish my training that I wouldn't be able to stand the discipline. Wow. So you're a competitive sort, just like I am. And so you needed not to just do it for yourself. I'm sure you wanted to tell mom, I can do this. You watch, I'll do it. And not only did you do it, but you serve for 22 years, I believe I did. Okay. And then you are up for a position. And that would be the beef eater position. And I just want you to tell us what made you want to become a beef eater slash human water. Well, it was actually a bit of a, it was just one of these things that just happened. An opportunity came along. That's me with my military uniform beside my foot, the chief and the jailer at the time. But yeah, it was, I'd retrained as a plumber and electrician. So I was going to go home to Scotland to work. And I just happened to be, it was about a year before I left the army. And I looked at a military magazine one day, and it had a picture of a beef eater on it. And I went, Oh, that looks quite interesting. Opened it up. And it said it wasn't just a job for the boys. Now, I'd already known that it was a former military position. You've got to do the 22 years, right? Have your long service and good conduct meddling. You've got to have your royal warrant, which just means we were sergeant majors. And, and it's that's the equivalent throughout the three services. And I thought, I'm going to phone these guys up. I've never been posted in London. They'd never served in London at all always wanted to. And I phoned up and I was on the phone for about half an hour with the HR manager. So, yeah, it was really interesting, very interesting. Wow. So now you see an ad that they're opening up the position of a human order, and women can apply as well. As long as you meet the criteria, and I believe it's 22 consecutive years of service to the British Army. And a whole lot of other mental attributes and physical attributes, which you, you nailed. And then so you say, I can do this. And then you apply. And then what, how did you get notified? I mean, how did this, does this all work? Well, I was interviewed for the position in the, I think it was the early December late November the early December 2006. And I was at home on Christmas leave in Scotland, and I had a phone call, basically saying that if I was still interested that they wanted to offer me the position. So yeah, but because it was the first one, yes, the first female, it was, I had to keep it all quiet and secret. I wasn't allowed to tell him to get out from my family. So they're sitting you up for failure at that point because I'll get a woman a wahini, you give her the biggest secret of her life and you but you got the position but no one needs to know. And if you don't, then you don't get the title, right? That was the harder part than the service. Yeah, definitely. Wow. Wow, that's, that's amazing. That's amazing. And so now you say, yes, I would surely love to take the position. Oh, yes. Yes, definitely. Trying to keep very cool about it. You say, oh, yes, I'd love to. And but as soon as I came off the phone, I was bouncing all over the place. And it was, it was only my brother's dog in the house at the time and it thought it was going for a walk. So it started bouncing too. But yeah, it was phenomenal feeling. Yes, that is, that's a feat and accomplishment that I'm so, I'm so proud that I even get to know you and share this journey with you and I feel so excited. Like I'm even part of it because I kind of met you at that time a few years after but just, yeah, I just feel so I feel the excitement and the love. And then when you went to work as a, as a beef eater, what did you do and where did you work at? Well, the first thing that you have to do is we, every single person that comes here as a, as a beef eater, they have to spend time in, you know, you don't go into your uniform straight away. So you're, you know, you're just in your, your suit or whatever. And I normally it's about a couple of a couple of weeks, but because they wanted to control the press release, etc. So they, they basically they said, you know, we're not going to, we're not going to put you into uniform until September. August is a very quiet month, as the media is concerned. So, yeah, so I was in September I finally went into uniform. And by that time I was really ready for it. That's that's it there. And that lovely chap that's facing us with a stripey tie in the glasses. He works for CNN International. He was a lovely chap. And so that was that one of your first media? No, because when I, when I'd been introduced, when it in the January of 2007, I'd also been introduced as unveiled to the press. So that was, I had no comprehension how big this thing was Wendy. No idea whatsoever. Really, I mean, the history of the towers like what 700 plus years of all know dominated right beef eaters. And now you come along after all that history. And that's historical news breaking. Yeah, definitely. And to be the first female beef eater in the Tower of London. That's all I got to say to people and they're like, wow, you know her. Oh, that's lovely. And so now now that you get unveiled and go through all the interviews and now you earn the rights of your uniform. Yes. Okay. So when you get put into the uniform now what what is your main job as a beef eater. We are still classed as the guardians of the tower. So we we guard the towers we look after the people look after our visitors that come every day. And we also because we live here at the tower as well, you know there's 46 families that live inside the tower grounds and the 37 beef eaters we all live here so it's a living palace so you have to make sure that people don't go into places that are meant to be going so it's so yeah. So we're still guardians. People you know audience some I don't know if you understand this tower is a palace it's it's massive. And you walk there and the most guests, they go through the gate they give their ticket and then they cross over a moat is it still called a moat still called the moat even though it's grass. It's a moat and it's like 45 feet or what's the distance of the mode 110 wide 110 wide you're crossing over going into the palace or the tower of London, and then there's a wall. And then there you're living quarters what is the depth of the wall to the front of your door. That's about 35 feet. Okay, so in the wall of the Tower of London is where all these amazing be eaters reside. And you're saying what because when you walk into the tower it's tower, it's cathedral, it's museums, it's everything as a tower would be so they have built their living quarters in the wall of the tower. And that's where Moita resides, and you're thinking oh my gosh, but let me tell you, it's very updated upscale. I mean, it's a beautiful. It's a beautiful home that Moina lives in, and calls her home for the last, what 13 years or 13 years now yes, years and just phenomenal because she she might have a day off and go out into town. All the guests are leaving, all the visitors are leaving. She's coming home from a day out in the town. And it's so cool because that's her home. People are leaving and she's going home. I just think that's phenomenal. Yeah, it's quite cool. Of course you know the big talking point is the bathroom window. Oh, I talk about it all the time. The bathroom window is about you open a little louver door don't you and you look eight feet to an arrow slit. And then that's it. That's the bathroom window. So that is the big talking point everybody has to look at that when they everybody has to go to that bathroom, because when you open the door is a regular toilet but behind the toilet. There's a door, a cabinet. And like she says, is that I believe where the archers would have sat in time of battle. Well, they wouldn't be that small it would be it would be a ledge. It's only because it's been built up. The wall would be that thick but it would be more of a little like kind of a tunnel down to it. And so people use that now for storage or because it's so cool and the stone keeps everything so cool. What would they also store in there. Is it good for keeping wine cold. I didn't know I could say that. So I said toilet paper, but yeah, it's amazing wine storage cooler what wine cellar right built in to the wall of the power it's beyond creative of what they've done there. And it's a beautiful home, which I visited a few times. Yeah, going there. You know someone every day you go outside your door you can't say I'm late for work because there's no traffic when you exit your door and you're right there at work. Reason for you to be work I mean to be late at work. But I know you on an average day how many visitors come to visit the Tower of London. Excuse me we normally average annually about 3 million. Yeah, so our busiest weekend is Easter. And that's our think our record then was 16,001 in one day. So it's, you know, it's crazy, it is crazy. But you lovely because the people especially if it's good weather because people just want to be there and you get good giggles and chats and you're telling kids stories and it's fabulous. Photo opportunities everywhere you turn I mean just taking a picture with Moira the first B Peter in the Tower of London that's already an increase of photo opportunity and then all the different sites and everything about walking back into history in the tower is just so when you guys go to London it is a must see, and you actually feel like you step back into history and you can just feel the presence of what actually happened back in all those years of history. Yeah, phenomenal. And waiter that you get to walk it and breathe it and live it. Wow. I know how fortunate am I. Yeah, you're so blessed. But now we want to bring it up to date and I just have to ask you this question. You know, how has COVID-19 affected the visitor account at the Tower of London or is it even open at all. Right we closed on the 20th of March. And we basically became a fortress again. There was, we were the only people who were in the tower. So, and we were self isolating as we as well as much as we could do, because we still had to carry out duties we still had to carry out our security duties. People were still having to go to get provisions and come back in and things like that so it was very, very strange it felt a bit like it just felt like like it was Christmas Day because it's exactly what we would do on Christmas Day. But it was the middle of summer. Well, it was very hot here felt like the middle of summer. And it was, you know, it was every day, and then it started to become very weird. We then, when things started to relaxing slightly, we started looking at when we were going to reopen. And because it's a charity that runs the tower and for the four other palaces in London, one in Northern Ireland. We have to keep running. We have to keep going because they were still paying us, you know, this was the government were paying the people who were unfurl all. But it was just it was sucking money out of the charity like nothing in there. So, we had to open up as quick as we could. But of course it had to maintain safety. So we are now open we opened again on Friday. This past Friday. Yeah, Friday we opened again. Yeah, for those months you were down. Yeah. And I think most of us worked. We worked kind of half and half, because we didn't need everybody on shift at one time. And we had, we opened on Friday. We have your book tickets online, preferably. You can turn up. We have a maximum of 1000 people a day. No more. Wow. One way difference. Yeah, big, big difference. But for people coming in, you know, because there's only 1000 people a day, it's like having a private tour. Yes. You know, you're seeing people laughing their heads off because they're going into the crown jewels twice, maybe three times. Yeah, they don't have no lines, nothing. It's like private tours. And because we've got a one way route, they get really close to the Queen's house now, which is one of the original Tudor buildings in the city of London. We get really close to it now. So that is really good news. And obviously we can't have everything open. But it's good. It's lovely and people are just, they're just, you're getting lots of people, locals who don't want to come during the summer. It's really good. They're coming now. Wow. Yeah, it's fantastic. Yes. And we're going to do one more better. We're going to say, okay, world, the Tower of London is now open. It's open. You'd be the first 1000 and you're in. They're going to let only 1000 in per day. But when you're in the area, you've got to see the Tower of London. It is. And the crown jewels and all the chivalry and armor of their past. It is phenomenal. And I just recommend everyone to have a stop by and be the first 1000 of the day and you get to see there. And then if you're, when you're looking out carefully, you're going to see Moira. And you're going to just say Aloha Moira. Because you have some green Hawaiian roots with her. So now we move further. And let me ask you, I know it's just a, it's a highlight every day for you, but what are the high points of being a beef eater Moira? It is the people. For me, it's the people. There's no two ways about it. You get, and that's everybody from little kids who just, you know, they run about going mad. And then of course they'll see you and they'll go, and you speak to them and they go all shy or they start chatting and they start asking these questions. And, you know, it's just fascinating. People are just fascinating. People are fascinating. And then you have the, your duty is to talk to them and make them feel welcome and get to know them and then let them open their hearts and minds so they can enjoy the experience of the Tower of London. So you're, you're the perfect person for this opportunity for this position. I also know that there was one really, you got a letter. I think you got a letter from our governor. Tell us, I mean, when you shared that with me, I just thought, oh, well, another letter. Oh, I got up here somewhere. So what were your thoughts when you got a letter from our governor Linda Lingo? And what did it say there? When I received the letter, and of course it had her address on the back and I went, oh, that's really kind. You know, congratulations coming from a female governor in America. That is absolutely wonderful. And I opened it up and I started reading it and it was many congratulations. And then she's, and then it said that we would love to invite you to Hawaii to take part in an international conference. And I just couldn't speak. I just kind of went, ah, there we are. It's so funny. Oh girl, you with your leg and all. I know. Oh, wow. That was just so fabulous. I just thought that was a runner, you know, your, your everyday repertoire. I get invited to London. I get invited to Hawaii. I get invited all over the world. I just thought that was, but you actually got excited about coming to Hawaii. I mean, I have the book right here. So this is the book. Oh, it is. So the governor Linda Lingo had international women's leadership conference and this was the fifth annual that Moira was to appear at she was being summons by our governor in to speak in 2008. And that's when I met. Right. So I would, so you would say still to today that would be one of your highlights. Oh, most definitely, most definitely. And I love it when Hawaiians come to the tower because you can hear the accent a little bit and I can, I can know it now. And I'm sitting. Oh, where are you from? Oh, the US. Whereabouts? Oh, we come from Hawaii. And I went, oh, no. I've been in the big island. I've stayed in Oahu. And then that's, you know, it's just lovely for them as well. You're Ohana right there. As soon as you say that you're Ohana. And so that's what they need to hear from you. So now when you, when you, when you're at work, I know you have one of the most amazing uniforms ever. Can you just share with us a few details of the most iconic uniform that you do. Well, the blue and red uniform is when people come into the tower, they get a little bit. Oh, where's your red and gold uniform? Because they always associate the state uniform, which is on the, the beef eater gin bottle, that one there. They, do you think we wear that all the time? And it's just so uncomfortable and very, very warm. So yes, so we wear blue and. The working uniform. If you could put that photo back up of the beef eaters and Moina, just give us a few details about the poundage or what you are wearing there. Well, what we've got on our, on our heads is the, the Tudor bonnet. So that's a black velvet bonnet and it's got red, white and blue ribbons around it to symbolize a red, white and blue or flag. And the white rough is very Tudor. So that's a Tudor uniform. And it's a, you see the red, where the, on our, on our chests, we have E R and there's a Roman numerals two and that is Elizabeth Regina Secundi, which means Queen Elizabeth II. Wow. And then we've got the floral symbols of the, of the countries as well, just below it is very difficult to see. But the, the skirt bit of it, I can say it's a skirt, men wear skirts, being Scottish as well. And what it is for is because it's split into four. And that was basically so that you could get onto a horse. That's basically what it was. And then you've got the breeches and our red tights. And how much is it weigh? Does it weigh a lot? Incredibly heavy, really, really heavy. It's very thick and all the gold braid is very heavy as well. So in the middle of summer, nobody wants to be there. We're on special occasions, right? Yeah, very special occasions. It's so iconic, it's amazingly beautiful. Okay, so now we got to move on because we're going to run out of time. I know. I know there's a very important event that takes place at the Tower of London, where the Tower of London is adorned with thousands and thousands of handmade poppies. And I was there one year and I saw it. Please share with us a few highlights of this monumental occasion of the poppies. The poppies was a commemoration of the beginning of the First World War. As you use poppies as well as your memorial symbol for people who have died. And we had, there was a poppy, a handmade ceramic poppy. Each for each person, each person who had been killed during the First World War, and that was 888,246 handmade poppies. Wow. So it was, it was beautiful, but it was, wow. You can understand why the country was in mourning for three years. Right. Absolutely beautiful. And even now people still come now and ask where the poppies are. I know. It's such a beautiful time to be here. Stunning. Yeah, amazing. So I wanted to ask, so may I ask you, who is your boss? My boss is Her Majesty the Queen. Not many people can say that. They are with the poppies in the moat. Yes. Yeah, what a beautiful shot, Moida. How beautiful is that? Well, Long Live the Queen. Yes, most definitely. Yes. So as a human warrior, you have many opportunities to meet many dignitaries from around the world, Moida, and very many, many treasured visitors to the Tower of London. Please share with us a few of the VIPs that you have greeted in your past 13 years. I was very honoured to welcome Governor Linda Lingle and her family. They came over. They had been doing some business in Germany, I think it was, and then they came to London. So she came in and it was just lovely to be able to, you know, say welcome to my home where that was lovely. And of course we met, and we met First Lady Michelle Obama as well. Well, that's right. She's so tall. Yes, very tall. Beautiful lady. And I know there's one more slide of just a dear friend of mine and there you are in Hawaii. Yes, and that is a lovely experience. I was a commissioner for the status of women for under Governor Linda Lingle, and my opportunity was that I get to meet and greet all our guests. And we became friends, lifelong friends, and we went to the North Shore and we went surfing together and just had a good time in our beautiful state and I was so blessed to be able to share it with you. Right, so hello for that. I'm running short, but I know, I know about one final phrase our audience can use as a reminder to themselves. And what would that be from you, Moina? Well, there's lots of things that went through my mind. But it's, you should never accept disrespect from anybody, especially yourself. Exactly. You see so many people doing it. And when people, when I hear people putting themselves down, even in a joke, I say to them, there's plenty people in this world that will do that for you. Don't you do it yourself. That is absolutely right. Moina. Good to love yourself. Right now, and I just can go on and on and on with you and I just so appreciate you and all that you've done for your country and how you represent the Tower of London superbly. And when you were chosen, they chose the right one. And so thank you. Thank you to all of us, the Queen of England, and just continue doing the best job that you are chosen to do. And we want to just say mahalo to you and aloha from Hawaii, and we'll see you soon. You take care and thank you so much, everybody. Just wanted to say, I've got my Mililani Hydrogen. Her hoody, her Mililani hoody. Mililani hoody. Julie looked after her and she went to visit with them and they so loved you. And they're all nice young men and women now. We're going to send this to them and they're going to appreciate that. So mahalo and aloha to you Moina, we love you and we cherish all that you are. Aloha.