…and what a success it was!
What a day… despite the Prime Minister’s somewhat muddled announcement the night before, we were delighted when nearly five hundred people turned up for our very first Variety Golf Christmas Lunch. And what a lunch it turned out to be.
Not only were members and guests treated to a sumptuous Xmas feast by the Hilton’s Executive Chef, Anthony Marshall, but there was some right royal entertainment to go with it.
Providing the music throughout were the fabulous XS Showband; comics Jim Davidson, Adger Brown and Bob (the Cat) Bevan made us laugh and our Captain, Len Goodman, made a wonderful job of hosting the event. Not surprisingly, it had a “Strictly’ theme with a dancefloor specially provided for Len’s favourite Champion Dancers, Vincent Simone and Paula Duarte, to demonstrate the sensational skill and beauty of their art.
Many other highlights included Variety Golf’s legendary “I Say, I Say, Mr Captain” as well as a majestic “Parade of the Chefs” complete with flaming Xmas Puds.
Auctioneer, Jonny Gould, managed a hugely successful auction which, coupled with a generous pledge from Joie Baby’s David Welsh, amounted to an amazing total raised of over £420,000.