Groton, Suffolk
26th June, 1999

The Regiment was specifically requested, via Dave Ryan at Caliver Books/Partizan Press, to assist a village committee in its Anniversary celebrations on the above date.

The central theme involved a past resident, Winthrop, of the above village who left for the New Colonies in America in the years just before the outbreak of the Civil War. The man went onto become the first Governor of Massachusetts, and this year his descendant returned to the UK to join in with the anniversary celebrations being held in Groton. It was apparent on the initial outlines for the guestlist, that the US & Dutch Ambassadors would be attending, and with a good coverage from the local media, it could assist us in recruiting in a relatively untouched area for the SK.

Our intention was to play the part of a late New Model Army company of foot, based around one of the successor Colonels to Colonel Tichbourne's Foot. With the setting of 1649, several months after the siege of Colchester, we would portray the Major 's Company of Colonel Cook's Regiment, one of a number of NMA companies to be balloted to go on the Ireland campaign. To assist our portrayal, we set up an encampment, using as much of the tentage & equipment the Regiment and its members already possessed. The Sudeley Castle & Arbury Hall weekends were useful opportunities spent identifying & acquiring any equipment required, specifically small items and props.

On the day, under a blazing sun, the members of the Regiment performed splendidly. Not only was the US Ambassador and escorting VIPs taken through the finer aspects of drill, but many of the visitors to the show were drawn into the camp and shown many of the aspects of seventeenth century life spent on the march. Visitors were encouraged and supervised in handling some of the arms and equipment, instructed on some of the more important points of social etiquette , and generally prevented from eating the soldiers' stew !

Feedback to the sponsor was very positive, a great encouragement to the majority of the Regiment that were there on their first ever display.