BOARDING THE BUS TO THE MAYORESSS MAY BALL ON 30 MAY 2014 at 5.45 pm for a very long night...I DID FEEL RATHER REFINED IN MY LONG DRESS & SHRUG & EVENING GLITZY CROSS-BODY MINI-BAG (and a tad daft!) as myself and Guide Dog Willow in-harness (wearing her refined glossy groomed furry black coat, as she always dons!) asked the bus driver to alert us for the High Street Colchester stop....I should not have worried, as my trusty girl Willow nudged my leg & hand to say we were approaching after our nearly 1 hour bus ride (the driver was silent!)...this was not a fundraising event for us to miss! I worked Guide Dog Willow off the bus and along the High Street with my long dress flowing in the gentle evening breeze...no high-heeled & trailing hemlines for me - practicality & functionality the name of the game for these events when you are solo with your Guide Dog! Willow then guided me up the 2 steps to the doors of the Town Hall, then carefully through them directly to the next flight of stairs upwards - I suddenly realised these felt bouncier than normal and when Willows guiding handle felt straight & horizontal again, she took me to the reception lobby desk, and we both sat in the waiting area as various guests & dignitaries started arriving...I could hear the shuffle of dresses on the marble floor (some people were obviously wearing wonderful Ball gowns). I chatted to various people & then finally my husband, Jeff, arrived from his London workplace just in time for the official photos on the next landing up a further long flight of steps! We then were ushered up another short flight of steps and into the Mayoral Parlour as our names were announced out loud, and Guide Dog Willows name twice-over as one of the 6 chosen Charities.....nothing like a walking working advert! Champagne flowed & glasses were continually re-filled as we interspersed eating canapés & nibbles whilst trying to converse with all the attendees - councillors, ex Mayors & ex Mayoresss, business men & women, people of all walks of life and many acquaintances who have seen me & my Willow out & about in Colchester & elsewhere. The announcement was made by the MC (Master of Ceremonies) that we were to now enter the Moot Hall for the 3 course feast and there were 6 large round tables each seating 10 guests and the Mayoral family members were on another top table in this massive echoing wooden floor room which also boasts the famous organ (that has just undergone major refurbishment). Raffle tickets were then sold at each table, courteously helped along by Heale (guide dog pup in-training who got many pats & oooohs) alongside his volunteer Puppy Walker - after which they left for other duties at home. It was now all upto Guide Dog Willow (yeh). The waitresses were brilliant & told me how my food was arranged on my plate for each course (clock-face wise) & ensured I had extra spoons to cope! Delicious meal.... ...Potted fresh crab, salmon & ginger with salad leaves ...Red pepper & goats cheese risotto topped with Parmesan ...Summer pudding & raspberry coulis & creme Chantilly ...Red and/or white wine, water & a water bowl for Willow! ...Coffee or Tea People on our table were concerned because they had not seen my Guide Dog anywhere during the meal...2 hours nearly had gone by...I said Willow was fine snoozing at my feet underneath the table being totally relaxed & disciplined (explaining how the guide dogs are trained etc) - they were stunned with all the noise & food about that Willow could ignore it all! Thumbs up to the Pup Walkers & trainers (and the owners too of course!). My pet dog would have been on the table begging & stealing food by now - somebody said! MC THEN ANNOUNCED AUCTION TIME: I keep telling my Guide Dog Willow I did my utmost to get her a well deserved weeks holiday in Tenerife, a VIP day out to meet HM Corgies..ooh I mean HM The Queen at The Changing of The Guard at Buckingham Palace & Tour, handmade certificated Pearl necklace, Tiptree Hamper, Pamper & Make-up Day at Fenwick (Colchester).......I sadly FAILED to make any bid substantial enough. The amazing generosity of The Hunnaball Family of Undertakers really did dig deep (excuse the awful pun) indeed and the holiday went to the hammer by Auctioneer Cllr. Kevin Bentley for a staggering £550....think the prices of local funerals may be soaring soon! THE AUCTION TOTALLED AN AMAZING £2,700 with the RAFFLE RAISING AN AMAZING £675......so the total just for these 2 events RAISED £3,375. Obviously funds will have been raised on the Ball ticket sales with over 60 people in attendance...hopefully raising nearly £5,000 - to be finally confirmed of course. The evening finished with the 5 POACHERS playing brilliant live music on stage - I got my dancing fever going and Willow even guided me to the edge of the dance floor & laid down in-harness by the edge watching me shuffle about dancing with hubby. Even when hubby went for a bathroom break, my lovely calm Willow stood still next to me whilst I held her lead for the next song...then she aptly guided me back (so I could drink some water) to my original seat by the big round table! True independence all round - what a life she gives me in everything she does & a real credit to her first Mum, Puppy Walker Patsyanne Lynch - utterly adorable every second of the day & it is great that Guide Dogs Colchester will now benefit from such a enormous boost from this whole Mayoral Year 2013/2014 with an estimated £5,000 as there is still one major fundraiser to come. A fabulous Ball - such generous donations. So pleased to have played a part and ever thankful to Guide Dogs Charity. TWO more Ball photos : 1st - Jeff (black tie) standing with Vicky &Guide Dog Willow 2nd - Vicky standing with Guide Dog Willow (sitting)
Posted on: Sun, 01 Jun 2014 19:10:22 +0000
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