Witham: Beating Retreat raises funds for army charity (From Gazette)
Get involved: send your pictures, video, news and views by texting GAZETTE NEWS to 80360, or email
Witham: Beating Retreat raises funds for army charity
2:37pm Sunday 24th June 2012 in Colchester
Witham: Beating Retreat raised funds for army charity
A military event returned to a country house to raise cash for the Army Benevolent Fund.
The annual Beating Retreat, at Crix, in Hatfield Peverel, featured marching bands, drums and pipe music.
The concept of the beating retreat dates back to 1554, when a call was given during hours of darkness to cease warfare until the following days.
In modern times, most armed forces in the Commonwealth perform a ceremonial form of retreat on an annual basis.
Performers at yesterday’s event in Hatfield Peverel included drummers and pipers from King Edward VI Grammar School, in Chelmsford, and the Essex Army Cadet drill team.
About 150 people attended the Beating Retreat at Crix throughout the course of the day.
Major John Caiger, of the Essex Army Cadet Force, said: "We haven’t yet worked out exactly how much money we’ve raised, but the event went very well."
