tet (one of Mozart’s) followed, and then “The Volunteers Song” by Mr. Parks. All these were applaudingly received; but the appeance(sic) of the Rifle Band at this stage (18 in number) with their fifes and flutes, big drum, side-drums symbals and triangle, created quite an excitement. They had been so well trained by Mr. Funnell – himself a superior flautist – as to produce harmony, as well as sound. They played one of their marches “Cheer up Sam”, and being lustily encored, they responded with “The Nightingale”, a march that had quite recently been put before them. The second part began with an overture, after which Mr. Whiting sang “Riflemen Form”. Then came another instrumental quartet, followed by a part-song “The Soldier’s Consolation”. Master Alfred Harman, quite a lad in the Rifle band, came on the stage, dressed in scarlet, and sweetly sang “May God Preserve Old England”, and so rapturously encored that he had to repeat it. The rest of the programme consisted of a flute and piano duet, a song “Our Rifles are Ready”, “The Young Recruit” march by the Rifle band, encored, and “God Save the Queen”, in which the audience joined.
The account here given of this concert, as well as of all the other Volunteer movements during the year should be regarded as mere skeleton reports extracted from the columns of the St. Leonards Gazette and the Hastings News; full details being inadmissible in a work like the present. At the same time so full of enthusiasm were the inhabitants of the borough and so thoroughly in earnest were the volunteers themselves, that a more restricted narrative than that which here appears would not only belittle one of the greatest features of the year, but would also be less than commensurate with the writer’s intention of historically coupling the volunteer institution of the 18th century with that of the 19th, and bringing the latter up to date.
Our Champion Galley Crew
Fresh Laurels crowned the efforts of the celebrated crew of the “Lord Warden” on the 11th of July, when at Southampton two heats were rowed for the Mayor’s silver goblet valued at £10, and two heats for the first regatta prize of £10, in both of which the Hastings crew were the winners. Both races were open to the coast, and amongst the vanquished was the “Widgeon”, of Newhaven, for which the “Champion of the South Coast” had been claimed.
At the Newhaven Regatta on the 26th of July, the Lord Warden, manned by her own crew carried off the watermen’s first prize; thus beating the Anne, of Brighton, the Widgeon, of Newhaven and the Arrow, of Ramsgate. Two of the crew (Wenman and Curtis) afterwards rowed in the Alarm, of Hastings, and won the first prize for pair-oared skiffs; the Bull-dog, another Hastings boat being second in the race. The winner of -
