For the third year in a row now, the 35th (Royal Sussex) Regiment has made the trip to Old Bethpage Village Restoration to bring some British Victorian Christmas cheer during their annual candlelight evening tours. We had Mr. & Mrs. Sherry accompany Privates Parker and McEvoy along with the colonel, set up in the Benjamin House, keeping warm on what was a very cold and windy night. Just like years past, an endless stream of visitors came through steadily for about four hours, and our Society members spoke about the Victorian origins of a number of modern Christmas traditions we enjoy today. From time to time, the redcoats left the Benjamin House to go on a short patrol of the village, visiting the Schenck House, where we were greeted with a full-throated rendition of "God Save the Queen"--all verses--with violins and guitar by the Huntingtonians.
Our Yankee friends, Sgt. Barboza and Ms. Martin, joined the five of us at the Benjamin House and shared the latter half of the evening with us, engaging with the waves of visitors coming through the village which was illuminated by countless lanterns. On another patrol visiting the barn, there as a different band, "Stark and Steady," that was somewhat less Anglophilic and struck up "Yankee Doodle" on our arrival. We later identified their concertina player as a deserter from the Royal Navy and fined him for his crime accordingly. This was not in any way a retributive action, of course.
While inside the Benjamin House, Mrs. Sherry demonstrated her drop spindle, which was complementary to another demonstrator in the house who had a spinning wheel. The drop spindle, of course, is an ancient and infinitely more portable device which is used to spin fibers into thread, and thereon into yarn. Mr. Sherry provided banter throughout the night and the 2025 season ended on a truly festive and upbeat note just ahead of Christmas.
To that end, as the Captain's Blog 2025 Chapter closes, the writer wishes the reader a very happy Christmas and new year to come.
Thank you to Pte. Parker and Sgt. Barboza for these pictures and video.
Our Yankee friends, Sgt. Barboza and Ms. Martin, joined the five of us at the Benjamin House and shared the latter half of the evening with us, engaging with the waves of visitors coming through the village which was illuminated by countless lanterns. On another patrol visiting the barn, there as a different band, "Stark and Steady," that was somewhat less Anglophilic and struck up "Yankee Doodle" on our arrival. We later identified their concertina player as a deserter from the Royal Navy and fined him for his crime accordingly. This was not in any way a retributive action, of course.
While inside the Benjamin House, Mrs. Sherry demonstrated her drop spindle, which was complementary to another demonstrator in the house who had a spinning wheel. The drop spindle, of course, is an ancient and infinitely more portable device which is used to spin fibers into thread, and thereon into yarn. Mr. Sherry provided banter throughout the night and the 2025 season ended on a truly festive and upbeat note just ahead of Christmas.
To that end, as the Captain's Blog 2025 Chapter closes, the writer wishes the reader a very happy Christmas and new year to come.
Thank you to Pte. Parker and Sgt. Barboza for these pictures and video.
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