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……..