Saturdays Balloon Event (From Hereford Times)

Saturdays Balloon Event

1:42am Monday 22nd October 2007

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Yesterday (well it was when started writing this lol)
Hereford Stars held their first proper Event - the Balloon Race!

I would like to say a load of thank you's.

When Sue, Fliss and I decided to start up "Hereford Stars" we knew there were some very nice people interested in helping us in Hereford, but we didnt know what TOTAL "STARS" they are.

Boy did they all work hard, on a Very long, Very Cold day. Sue and Fliss worked hard with the selling and sorting the prizes, l seemed to get bogged down with the problem solving type side of thing, making sure everyone where we needed them to be, and collecting in some of the last batches of tickets from shops with advance sales that wanted just that little bit longer.

Right thank you's

Our Setting Up Crew

Allan Holloway, Josh Green, Paul Laycock, Glen MacMillan, Alan Pook and Ian & Caroline Warren who took charge of the PA system delivery etc.Caroline also came back in her lunch break etc to help to.

Allan helped set up then came back in his lunch hour for a short time too.

Josh who was first on site after me in the morning, helped unload my car and set up, then really got stuck in selling tickets, inflating balloons, street collecting and Wearing Pink!! Thanks Josh l know you were disappointed to have to leave early but you'd certainly done your bit lovely we couldnt have done without you.

Glen, who helped set up then rigged himself up in a billboard and walked the streets of the city advertising us, and was totally hilarilous - more about him in next blogs! your as mad as us mate - keep it up!

Paul, our quietest Star, but goodness a hard worker, Paul helped to set up in the morning, then laid claim to the helium tanks and spent the entire day, inflating balloons, ticketing them and organising the cages - we couldnt have done with out you Paul - Thank you so much and l hope the lifes come back in you fingers now!!! - Pauls lovely wife Julia came to help between work too, and did a fab job on the ticket tables - so thank you to and it was lovely for me to meet you both. - and to top it all Paul helped clear away too!

Our Day Crew

Aron Marsh (Sue's son) and Sam Warren our lovebirds who looked so sweet in complementing fairy outfits lol !! they both worked really hard street collecting and half way through the day their one goblet was full! so well done and thank you.

Louise Bromley - who came over on the train from Ludlow especially for the event, and was nervous as shes only met me once and none of the others as we'd all become friends through here! (thx myspace)
It wasnt too bad was it Lou?? you did fab girl - louise and fliss paired up and worked the streets for ticket sales and did brilliantly, made a really successful team.

Sharn Webb - who was with us all day and must have been frozen! Sharn was representing Cheltenham & Gloucester building soc (keep your boss happy Sharn as way of saying thanks) - so had her uniform on under her pink tee and bare legs!! - She spent the day selling tickets - was fab at it, stringing and weighting balloons for the kiddies, and dishing out the prizes to the winners at the end. she refused to go off for a lunch break and was totally committed (no she doesn't need committing) - read it properly! Her work donated 5 money box/clock sets and a box of pens as prizes, £20 towards setting up costs, then the staff raised another £30 amoungst themselves for the event too! what a brill company and Thank you to Sharn and her collegues.

Su Silcox and Shelley Wood who were disappointed they couldnt stay all day but kept the morning going brilliantly - also thanks to Shelleys son George for his help putting banners up and with the balloons - it was great having you both especially with it being Shelleys birthday!! Su worked really hard and we really appreciate it especially as you then had to go to your proper job!

Maz Barnett who came in her lunch hour and after work, took loads of photos coming soon, and with her boyfriend helped clear up at the end - thanks Maz and im glad we cheered up a stressful work day for you babe.

Leighton Marsh (Sue's eldest son) for taking some fabulous photos

Tony Hodges for rescuing us during his lunch hour, we were on our last cage having exhausted M&S's available ones, and Tony cadged 2 from work for us, which kept us going until Tesco came to our rescue with another 10. Tony also came back after work, helped with releasing the balloons and clearing up and even took our rubbish away - cheers Tone!

Steve Cooper our Treasurer - for being brave enough to spend the afternoon dressed as a pink "finance fairy" despite being in the formal position of one of the Cities Bank Managers!! He did a fab job of selling tickets and helping with the clearing up. Thanks Steve and look forward to seeing you in the week to work out the final figures.

Anna Brees - Our Celeb! thank you so much for taking the time from your busy schedule to come down from Birmingham free of charge with your lovely boyfriend (keep hold of him!) and help our event along. Anna offered her services for any future events too! She is a guenuinely lovely lady (no diva there!) and worked the mic like the professional she is and pulled the people in buying balloon tickets - we even started getting queues! She also signed photos for a donation. Thank you so much. Oh and she kept the Mayor in order!! lol

Wyvern Black Thunders Thanks to Hayley from the Thunders for coming along (with Charlotte) and getting things moving nicely at the end of a cold day, Hayley worked the high town pulling people in, and working the mics with Anna - brilliant,
Anna announced the Mayor for the Balloon Release, he did the countdown and Hayley kept the whole thing going with her ongoing chatter - how she thinks of things to say all the time l dont know but shes fab!

The Mayor- The right worshipful mayor Chris Chappell and his wife Alison, did a great job of the countdown to the release and drawing tickets in the draw, many thanks to them for taking time to come.

Thomas Cook my smashing 12yr old son, I'm very proud of him, for his generosity of spirit in being willing to do anything to help, he walked round the town with the others - not being allowed a goblet coz of his age - he acted cute in his pink and black cowboy outfit and drew in the pennies that way, he helped inflate balloons, and acted as a runner, well done Tom, when asked by some mates he saw "wasnt he embarrassed" he says no its for a good cause, hes used to his mum embarrassing him as a fairy by now!! and has got used to dressing up from when he spent two days dressed as a cat for this years Race campaign. bless him xx

I don't think i've missed anyone but no doubt Sue will tell me and rap my knuckles if l have - ha

so my final and biggest thank yous have to go to

Steve Marsh (Sue's hubby) and Jeff Cook (my better half) for helping out enormously behind the scenes, stapling paperwork, sticking displays, moving equipment, even sticking stars on costumes!!
I think l can safely speak for Sue when l say that we couldn't do what we do without them and their full support, big hugs to you both, and don't worry we are having a rest for a while now your'll be relieved to know ha.

Ok its very late and this is my second attempt to post this as l finished it once then knocked wrong button and lost it all!!! so here goes

will be back with stories of the day and photos shortly in meantime click on friend number 2 the Very Importand Fairy Fliss and she's got most of the photo's (the ones Leighton took) on her site.

If any of you readers would like to join the "Hereford Stars" (membership free) - just enthusiasm, sense of humour and willing to work hard on event days needed - then you can contact me through the site listed below.

Nighty night all

from one very tired Mad "Pink" Fairy

xxxxx

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