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 Mary Queen of Scots Evening, 30th April 2011Despite what seemed to be a public mass exodus from the area thanks to the extra day bank holidat, those of us who ventured as far as The Bonded Warehouse were lucky enough to meet Mary Queen of Scots on the evening of Saturday 30th April. Lesley Smith presented and portrayed Mary Queen of Scots with ease, wisdom and humour and kept her audience entranced with her dramatic style and authentic costume. Mr Link's succulen pig roast was devoured with lip smacking enjoyment while Queen Mary circulated to answer questions from her enthralled audience keen to hear more about the life and times of this feisty historical character... Our evening was partly focused on extending our data base of Foundation supporters and welcoming new members into the EJF - introducing them to the aims of the Foundation and Spokes. This was not solely about raising funds but also about spreading the word and encouraging support. As for the all important fund raising aspects of the evening, local businesses had offered generous contributions towards the raffle and visitors were selfless in their purchasing of tickets. Brewers have a greatly valued donation of £150 to kick start the night, all of which was hugely appreciated. In addition, the auction was something of a challenge for Gail as a 'rookie' auctioneer but through the good humour of the audience, it raised a decent sum. Special thanks are due to Robinson and Sproson who donated a pair of this seasons ladies Chanel sunglasses - fought over with excitement by three ladies in paticular! Anne was a remarkable contestant but Sarah was a fierce opponent, finally claiming the shades as hers! Two of Barclays bank staff from the Stourbridge branch volunteered their time to support the event on the night and had followed the progression of its planning through the previous months. As a consequence, Barclays have honoured to match pound for pound the first £750 raised for the Foundation. What a great contribution!! In addition, newcomers that night came forward with ideas for further ways in which we can fundraise and some honoured to continue to be involved in some way with the charity, promising to donate and be interested in the future. Most impressively, as a result of all the hard work by so many people during the evening, £2012 was raised for the Foundation! So, with thanks to all, I think we can say .... it was a success!!
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