On behalf of the St Martin’s Guild Fete and Party Committee, thank you to everyone who helped with and came to the Fete and the Jubilee Party.
The Fete was blessed with good weather, and the crowds came pouring in. Entertainment was provided by the East Woodhay Silver Band who were on fine form. In the Central Arena our ringmaster Simon Everard held Children’s Races and the Fun Family Dog Show. A big thank you also goes to Pete Mason and friends, and Chris Wilkes, who brought some wonderful vintage cars for everyone to look at. The provisional figures show that we made over £13,000 on the day and hopefully, including donations and after expenses are taken out, the total should be over £20,000. Individual stall figures will be announced later.
A huge thank you must go to the Stargroves estate especially Charlie Sheppard who did a wonderful job in helping us set-up the Fete, as well as running the Garden Tours. Thanks to our site manager Graham Heald, to Donald Mackinnon, Hugh Titcomb and Rodolph de Salis who managed the parking, to the gate keepers Hugh Cobbe, Elaine and Andrew Colville and to the amazing tea ladies organised by Sarah Ede. Thanks also to Milly West, Fiona Hurley and volunteers from St Martin’s School who ran the spectacular Children’s Games alongside the EW Cricket Club and the Woolton Hill Argyle Football Club, the Wheatman family and their beer tent, Anne Aston’s Granny’s Attic which also included wonderful items sewn by the EW sewing group, the Godfrey family’s Ice Cream stall, Rhona Everard’s cake stall, Jenny Sanders’ Books, the Wilsons’ Tombola, Sarah Porter’s wonderful plant stall, the Foxons’ Sausage Sizzle, and Jonathan Hopson’s raffle, Neighbourcare and the W.I., as well as the many willing volunteers who put up the tents, manned the stalls and sideshows all afternoon, put it all away at the end of the day and still had the energy to go again the following day to set up everything for the Jubilee Party.
For the party our thanks go to Kristen Foxon and her wonderful band of flower ladies who made the tent look truly amazing, to the East Woodhay Flower Show and Kim Boreham for their help and to our volunteer bar and security staff. Thanks also to our caterer Gig Lees as well as the wonderful Jim Meacham and the Fat Chance Band for making it a night to remember. Thank you also to those who gave prizes in our fabulous auction and to those who bought them. Due to the brilliance of our auctioneer, Chris Boreham, the auction made over £9,000.
Thank you everyone.
Sarah Leventhorpe on behalf of the St Martin’s Guild Committee