After several months of planning with Joyce Lewis, the Civic Manager and Molly Millhench of the Chequers Hotel, the Mayor’s Charity Ball was held on Saturday 9 February. It was a formal dinner jacket occasion with a drinks reception, a three course dinner, a speech by myself and dancing afterwards.
At 7 p.m. the guests arrived and I and the Mayoress, Edwina Cooper greeted them before moving into the function area to a champagne reception and listening to the Wade Trio from St Bartholemew’s School. They provided an excellent musical interlude, with Suzy Holmes on the piano, Chris Wade, violin and Lottie Baikie on the cello. These three young musicians were under the tutelage of Clive Grant, the Head of Music Department and they were a real credit to the school.
The guests then went into the dining room to an excellent three course meal and they were entertained by a rather special person, by name Judge the Poet. He went from table to table asking for a couple of random words from which he would compose an immediate poem. It was quite a remarkable achievement and one which everyone applauded. During dinner, raffle tickets were sold for a wide and varied number of raffle prizes which had been given by 30 local sponsors and a competition to guess the name of a very large and cuddly teddy bear. At the end of the meal and the loyal toast to the Queen, I gave a short speech in which I thanked the guests for coming, the sponsors for their very generous donations for the raffle, the hotel staff and the MC for the evening Brian Sylvester who is also the Town Crier.
After the raffle and the teddy bear winning, the disco provided by Neil – the Pink Elephant, started up and the dancing began. After a short period, it was so popular it was difficult to find room on the dance floor. All too soon, the evening came to an end at 1 a.m. with Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem. I think everyone enjoyed the evening, we certainly did and we will remember it for a long time to come.
I must record my thanks to the Civic Manager, Joyce Lewis for her immaculate planning and attention to detail and to Molly Millhench, the General Manager of the Chequers Hotel for ensuring the smooth running of the Ball. I am also grateful to Sue Page our Administrative Officer for her excellent colourful and well designed programme for the Ball.
At 7 p.m. the guests arrived and I and the Mayoress, Edwina Cooper greeted them before moving into the function area to a champagne reception and listening to the Wade Trio from St Bartholemew’s School. They provided an excellent musical interlude, with Suzy Holmes on the piano, Chris Wade, violin and Lottie Baikie on the cello. These three young musicians were under the tutelage of Clive Grant, the Head of Music Department and they were a real credit to the school.
The guests then went into the dining room to an excellent three course meal and they were entertained by a rather special person, by name Judge the Poet. He went from table to table asking for a couple of random words from which he would compose an immediate poem. It was quite a remarkable achievement and one which everyone applauded. During dinner, raffle tickets were sold for a wide and varied number of raffle prizes which had been given by 30 local sponsors and a competition to guess the name of a very large and cuddly teddy bear. At the end of the meal and the loyal toast to the Queen, I gave a short speech in which I thanked the guests for coming, the sponsors for their very generous donations for the raffle, the hotel staff and the MC for the evening Brian Sylvester who is also the Town Crier.
After the raffle and the teddy bear winning, the disco provided by Neil – the Pink Elephant, started up and the dancing began. After a short period, it was so popular it was difficult to find room on the dance floor. All too soon, the evening came to an end at 1 a.m. with Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem. I think everyone enjoyed the evening, we certainly did and we will remember it for a long time to come.
I must record my thanks to the Civic Manager, Joyce Lewis for her immaculate planning and attention to detail and to Molly Millhench, the General Manager of the Chequers Hotel for ensuring the smooth running of the Ball. I am also grateful to Sue Page our Administrative Officer for her excellent colourful and well designed programme for the Ball.
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