Winter Ball Guests
SOLARIO RACING’S auction prize at yesterday’s Hospice of St Francis Winter Ball held at Latimer House, Chesham raised over £4,000.
This was the Hospice’s first ball since the pandemic and some 140 people attended a glittering black tie event which yours truly was delighted to be emceeing.
After a Prosecco reception, guests took their seats for an evening’s entertainment which included a Heads and Tails competition to start proceedings which was won by one of the youngest guests, Luca Gaggiotti-Squire, son of Solario Racing owner, Jeanette Squire.
During an excellent three-course lunch, DJ Isaac Okoh crooned a few tunes at various tables which really helped people get into the party mood ready for the main event of the evening, the Grand Auction.
Nine items were up for grabs including a fabulous lunch for four courtesy of The Diamond Trust, hire of a Rolls Royce for a day, a night at the luxurious Grove Hotel and a Corporate Day at Harlequins Rugby Club.
If fell upon yours truly as Emcee to be auctioneer and from the word go, bidding was brisk for all nine items. The writing was on the wall pointing to a good night for the Hospice when a print by local mouth-painting artist, Henry Fraser, went for £500.
The top auction prize was a two-part five-star Champagne racing hospitality event for four people which included a tour of Amy Murphy’s Southgate Stables, lunch at Bedford Lodge and a day at Newmarket’s July meeting including hospitality. I was delighted it went for £2,200. As it was such spirited bidding, Solario Racing offered the lot again to the underbidder, providing he matched the winning bid. He did, so it raised £4,400!
The live auction itself raised over £11,500 while the whole evening which included a silent auction and a casino raised a whopping £37,000.
Guests danced the night away to DJ Isaac Okoh and there’s no doubt people really did have a ball and raised a huge amount for the Hospice. Well done to everyone who attended, the Hospice organisers, Claire Larkin and Debbie Baker and also to Caroline Watson from Zing Marketing Communications, who gave up so much of her time on the design and production side.
Well done All!
