The Rifle Corps Fete,

THE RIFLE CORPS FETE

This took place at four the afternoon of the 10^th after the other festivities had taken place. The volunteers did not restrict themselves to roast beef and plum pudding. Captain Bartlett’s “magnificent hospitality and careful for thought” had produced an abundance of culinary delights fish, fowl, veal, mutton a baron of beef. The barracks rooms used by the Rife Corps had been cleaned out and painted and decorated for the dinner and concert. The walls of the room had been Coloured  and the ‘ugly upsydown’ iron gas pendants   had been removed and replaced with more attractive brass and glass side lamps.

Tables were decorated with plums and flowers in moss stands with moss fruit baskets. The walls were decorated with banners, the British and Danish coat of arms. One was embellished with “Eldest son of the first house”, the Danish flag with its white cross on a blue background contrasted with the English flag with its red cross on a white background. Along the walls about five foot from the floor was a bracket on this were hung the corps rifles. The rifles had been festooned with garlands of greenery hanging in swags across the length of the rifle brackets. Each of the 60 rifles of corps was” charged” with a small banquet of flowers, these had been assembled by Mrs Bartlett , she and other ladies attached in one way or another with corps had been working hard  to get the room decorated.

Mr Woodward local artist and tutor to Mr Bartlett children, was responsible for the pictures painted on the wall. At the head of the room over the top table was painted the Rifleman’s badge, a bugle summated by crown and below the number of the regiment. Under this was the regimental motto, ‘pro aris et focis’ (for our alters and heaths) in leafage letters. Mr Woodward also painted pictures to cover two ugly windows, depicting the motto, one was of a church and the other a village containing homes from humble cottages to a manor house and all classes in-between. Around the room was a cornice inscription taken from Shakespeare Henry the fifth.  Decoratiting the Barracks was a Bartlett family affair as the children had made the letters for this inscription.

The table were set up in two rows down the length of the room with cross table at the head of the room were officers and honary members sat, this included W Smith Surgeon, the Rev Fessey (Church of England) Rev J Kendal (Catholic) H Milward Esq., Mr C A Bartleet, A G Baylis (needle Masters) Mr Castree (the Unicorn Hotel), among others. Captain Bartleet presided over the top table while Lieutenant Boulton and Ensign Milward Officiated at the other two tables. As the baron of beef was brought in the band played the ‘Roast beef of old England’. Once the cloth had been drawn the wine had arrived the toasts were made. To the Bishops and clergy of the Diocess, the Army and Navy and volunteers, Captain Bartleet for taking on the roll of organising the volunteers in Redditch since they were formed three years before.

Possable indirectly the most important toast was, ‘to the Ladies’ the ladies had not been invited to the dinner but they were going to attend the concert that was to take place after the dinner, and had arrived to take their places. Lieutenant Bolton gave the toast,

“To the ladies we are much indebted in many ways and, especially the volunteer cause is greatly indebted to the Ladies. Not only do they soothe and cheer us under any fatigues, vexations and disappointments incident to the services. But we must remember that we have to thank for allowing us to be volunteers (laughter) allowing us to go to drill –allowing our abacenence on all military calls, (laughter). Only suppose a volunteer asked by his wife ’were are you going tonight ‘? ‘I’m going to drill’ and she was to say,’ Oh! I can’t spear you tonight’, (much laughter).

This toast had an element  of recruiting about it, as some of the volunteers had come to the end of their three years  service and there seems to be a ‘fear’ that some of the wives would not   allow their husbands to signee up for a further three years. Lieutenant Bolton took the opportunity to “beg those who are willing to allow their husbands or Friends to enter on another three years to rise and bow” the few sitting and the many standing bowed, which ‘produced roars of laughter’. Captain Bartleet rose after the toasts and reminded the assembled company that most of the ladies had been standing for a long time. He asked the volunteers to retire and allow the ladies have a cup of tea and a seat.

The room was made ready for the concert which was not reported, a large part of the page was taken up with the toasts given at the end of the volunteer dinner. The concert finished at 11, oclock when Captain Bartleet and party left. However the element among the volunteers who had written to Indicator asking for a dance got their wish and dancing continued to three in the morning.