Beechy and Jules: charity events at the Elms, Retford: 2014 CCU, Bassetlaw Hospital

Saturday 2 August 2014

In aid of CCU, Bassetlaw Hospital

Amount raised: £631

Running total to date: £30616

We chose the Coronary Care Unit at Bassetlaw Hospital as our charity this year as Julie had been a patient there last November following her heart attack. She was in there for two weeks and had two stents fitted so we wanted to say a little thank you - as she is the latest of several members of our family who have had impromptu stays there!

The monies raised for the CCU are used in two areas: firstly for the needs of the patients on the ward - for new chairs, stools or other items as and when they are required are required - and the second fund is used to buy equipment.

The number of people attending this charity evening were fewer than we normally have there and we were a little disappointed with the amount of money we raised but upon reflection there were several reasons for this. The date of the event was slightly later than we usually plan - but it was the only date available so we had to take it. The knock-on effect from this was that a couple of our larger tables of 'regulars' were unable to come as they were away on holiday.

But never mind - we still made a bit of money and everyone seemed to have a good time! And it tipped our running total over the £30,000 mark so we were very pleased with that!

We decided to make large tissue paper flowers as table centres this time - standing them in pots with covered cardboard tubes as stalks. Aunt Margaret was once again enlisted to help us as we tried out various ideas and sizes.

After a bit of trial and error we managed to get the size and shape as we wanted them. So we made a few and Aunt M kindly agreed to store them in her spare bedroom until they were needed - we hadn't thought about that bit and they were quite big and very delicate and flimsy!

A few days before our event Julie and Aunt M had another craft session and finished making the flowers - these were then attached to the cardboard tubes (bit of toilet roll inner, glue and Blue Peter initiative here!) which were solidly standing in fancy tubs filled with plaster of paris!

Then a bit of decoration around the tubes and a fancy bow - and they were ready for their final touch. Hairspray!

A quick blast of glittery hairspray and they were primped and ready to go!

They looked lovely sitting on mirrors covered with little sparkly gems.

So the tables were set and the room was ready.

Copies of the menu had been placed on the tables and then Julie pointed it out to me - a SPELLING MISTAKE on the menus I had printed!!

Can you spot it?!

Not good - my second boo boo this year after putting 2013 on the tickets for the February event instead of 2014 - Beechy and Jules will be sacking me if I continue at this rate!...

But no one said anything to us so either it wasn't spotted or people were kind enough not to point it out!!

So with the meal eaten on came the band - lovely trio from Liverpool called White Ties who played a good mixture of old and new.

They soon had the crowd up and bopping...

Now you may have noticed that a man in a blue striped shirt seems to appear in a lot of these pictures - it's Disco Dave! He is a member of the supporters club for Retford United FC and several of them had come along to support us! Disco Dave just danced all night - mostly with a lucky lady from the Kings Coffee Shop party...

And the more observant amongst you may have noticed that Julie had leapt enthusiastically into the new age of technology and was sporting her new fashion accessory for most of the evening - an iPad!

She seemed to think that - a) it was big enough to hide behind to avoid having her photo taken and b) that she would be able to wander around inconspicuously taking photos on it without anyone taking any notice of her. WRONG...

Meanwhile Mike - our official stalwart photographer was doing his usual sterling work (although I have no idea why he was standing on a chair!) and was making people SMILE while he took their pics - here are some of our happy party goers...

Smiley, happy people having fun!...

These are some of the staff from the Coronary Care Unit at Bassetlaw Hospital who came to join us for the evening. Julie said that the staff were so great that she felt as though she was on her holidays during her stay there - like having two weeks at Butlins. Don't know why she said that - don't think she has ever been to Butlins!...

She also mentioned that she and her other three partners in crime on the ward got told off for giggling, chatting and generally being too noisy. What she didn't mention was that it was 2 o'clock in the morning and they were waking other patients up!!

Another staff member joined us after she had finished her shift - and danced away her stresses!

Don't know what she's done but she seems to be getting a bit of a look there...

Bit of a sidetrack here - for the ladies - there were some great shoes being worn that night...

Actually - some of the men's weren't too bad either...

Our raffle once again had a huge array of prizes - we can always rely on everyone for a great table of goodies!...