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4th Regiment Royal Artillery
Regimental Christmas Markets
Our last events of the year in both 2021 and 2022 were the Families’ Christmas Market. The team set out
to hold a German-style Christmas market for all the Regiment to enjoy as the in the final weeks before a well-earned Christmas stand down. The original plan for the first Christmas market in 2021 was to set up in the open air on the Regimental square. These plans were hastily ripped up when it became clear that the market would be blown away by the hurricane-force cyclone known as Storm Barra that was forecast to strike around the same time. With some frantic re-planning and hard work from the welfare team, and with the kind permission of Battery Commander 94 (New Zealand) Battery, the market was relocated from the Regimental Square to 94 Battery garages in short order. The team laid on a German- style Christmas market theme with food and drinks, and even Santa made another appearance to give out gifts. There was a fantastic turnout despite the apocalyptic storm raging outside.
Proving once again the old wisdom that “no good deed goes unpunished”, the success of 2021’s Christmas Market resulted in the welfare department being given the firm
2021-2022 Maj Mark Davis RA
Santa and his elves at the Christmas Market
direction to do it again, but “this time bigger and better”. Struggling with ideas as to how to improve on 2021’s market, the welfare team, in consultation with the Regimental Sergeant Major, suggested that 2022 mar- ket should be set up behind the Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess, so that they could pool resources to create a bigger and better event. The Après Ski-themed win- ter ball planned by the Mess worked well with the German Christmas market theme, meaning that 2022’s market enjoyed the
addition of an Après tent complete with vin chaud and racks of skis, while the Mess’s function the next day made full use of the market tents as well. As in 2021, the North Yorkshire weather did not disappoint, fur- nishing the event with temperatures very appropriate for skiing, on the evening of the market dropping as low as -8 degrees. Turnout to the market in 2022 was even bigger than the year before, and was much- enjoyed by the Regiment and families.
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The troops enjoying good food and drinks around a warm fire pit at the Christmas Market
Smiles all around at the Christmas Market