Strange happenings at the RNLI Halloween Dance.

Monday 29th October 2012

The evening turned out to be unusually spooky at the Lostwithiel Golf Club on Friday 26th October, when an unscheduled power cut plunged the restaurant into darkness just as members, fundraisers and supporters of the Lostwithiel Branch of the RNLI gathered to take their places at table for their Halloween Dinner Dance. 

 

Lee, the Chef, and his staff battled gallantly on in the darkened kitchen to keep the food on the go, and meanwhile" Spiffing Tunes"  (ex Fine Whines Jazz) did a spiffing good job at keeping the music going to keep up the atmosphere of a fun evening  (not quite shades of the Titanic!).  One or two people even braved the dance floor in the dark, despite the spookiness of the hanging luminous skeletons, spiders, cobwebs and the witch, complete with her cauldron over a very convincing "fire".  The Golf Club staff did a wonderful job, even starting to serve the food before the lights were eventually restored. 

 

Although slightly delayed because of the power cut, the food was superb and everyone stayed cheerful, enjoying the judging of the scariest mask or hat competition (the prize was a witch's broom, donated by the Boscastle Witch's Museum and won by Jean Fagg) and the drawing of the lucky ticket (the prize was a T-Shirt and Bottle of Beer, donated by the Wychwood Brewery and won by Jane Bulmer).  Raffle  prizes were many and varied and included other donations from our two sponsors as well as two fresh pumpkins! and the evening was rounded off with more dancing.  Needless to say, there are many people to thank for helping with the success of the evening, but particular thanks must go to members of my committee:  Audrey Broad for organising and running a splendid raffle, Richard Parrott for organising the minibus, Ralph Broad for saying the Halloween Grace (in the dark!), and Carl Watts for giving the RNLI Toast, which reminded us of the conditions the RNLI crews have to work in (sometimes in the dark, as we had just experienced) and of the reason for us all being there.

 

The evening raised around £400 overall, £140 of which was raised by the raffle.   My thanks, once again to everyone who supported us in any way, helping to make it possible for the Fowey Lifeboat to continue its wonderful work.

 

Rob Briggs, Chairman

Lostwithiel Branch of the RNLI