At 7pm on Monday 14 December Private (Pte) Parsons traveled through a time portal to arrive at the Butchers Dog micro pub Driffield East Yorkshire.
 Ticket holders were treated to listening to Pte Parsons’s tales of life on the Western front at Christmas time in 1914.  The aspects of the Christmas truce in 1914 were explored, with analysis of the live and let live attitudes conducted by the troops occupying the line.  With hands on original artifacts and antiques from the period, the first “turn” of Pte Parsons was closed with a rousing rendition of Silent Night sang by the audience.
Pte Parsons took a short break back through his time portal where he acquired a German’s Mutz soft hat.  On his return he proceeded to delight the audience with accounts of Christmas across no man’s land and the aftermath of the Christmas truce.  More artifacts were handled by the audience before a very good attempt at singing the German Christmas Carol: Silent Nacht.
Pte Parsons departed through his portal for a short intermission in proceedings before returning dressed in Desert uniform to give the audience accounts of current Combat Christmases and the festive season on Operations.
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem was sang from copies of the original Carol sheet produced for the Christmas Carol concert held at the British Field Hospital in Basrah, Iraq 2005.  After which gold cardboard boxes were distributed to the audience containing sweet products in labeling that the Princess Mary Gift tins of 1914 were wrapped in, along with a Christmas card and a picture of Princess Mary herself.
 
All in all a very festive Winter War-mer……..

Private Parsons enjoyed a visit to this front line trench that he is holding with the 141st Brigade on the 4th December 1915, by all of Year nine students from the University Academy Warrington. 
 
The Students arrived in two groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  They were treated to the usual delights of Parsons Period Presentations which encompassed the practicalities of trench routine with a demonstration by volunteers from the visitors to illustrate, amongst other duties; the rigors of a wiring party.
 
Volunteers from year nine also confirmed their lessons in other elements of trench life such as the threat of gas and some of the pests that are suffered in a 1915 western front trench.
 
Pte Parsons discussed with the visitors the whole question of last year’s unofficial Christmas truce.  The order of the day was read out from the General Officer Commanding regarding any thoughts of a possible Christmas truce this year by a visitor volunteer from year nine.  It became instantly apparent that a repeat of last year’s “live and let live” attitude (in certain areas of the Western Front) will not be repeated this year; 1915. 
 
Pte Parsons visit was a wonderful insight to the staff and students at the opportunities of learning through seeing and actually experiencing the Western front one hundred years on with the help of Esprit tours.
 
A Battlefield tour with Esprit will cater to the client’s needs and the bespoke nature of the tours that Esprit can offer set them apart from other excursion companies that deliver Battlefield tours.
 
Before Nick Walmsley (Director of Esprit tours) time travelled back to 2015 he insisted on having his picture taken with Pte Parsons, after which he went on to say:
“Our School Group WW1 tour packages are suitable for groups up to 49 people. All school tours are based on 44 pupils and 5 FREE staff places. They offer pupils the chance to experience the battlefields of the Western Front. The tour packages are personalised to the requirements of the school.
Itineraries can be designed to provide a general overview of the battlefields, or can be designed to follow in more detail a specific area of interest; for example local regiments, battalions, divisions or even ex-pupils.  All tour itineraries are totally flexible in order to meet the demands of the school”.
 
For those time travelers in the 21st Century who would like to see what other services Esprit tours can offer please follow the link:
http://www.esprittourservices.com/