Events for 2012

To be arranged

Events for 2011

CAITLIN’S KICKSTART AWARD 10TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
By Sean Hurcombe

HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

The 10th anniversary of the charity scholarship Linda Hurcombe set up to honour her daughter Caitlin’s memory and to help young adults with further and higher education went off like a trials motorbike flying up Spring Hill.
The evening, with an optional ‘back to school’ dress code, started with a champagne reception and lovely canapés served by very cute volunteers. 120 generous locals had booked tables, all intent on a beautiful meal and on raising as much money as possible, especially that as of 2012, yearly university fees will be raised from the previous yearly loan mark of £3,000 p/a set in 1998, to a daunting £9,000 for hopeful applicants.
The three top tables were booked for 16 of the 23 ‘roll of honour’ winners of the Kickstart Award and their guests over the past ten years. The fabulous buffet, catered by Hannah Limond, starred a main dish of David Cartwright’s Kelly Bronze turkey and a veggie alternative of Leek and Stilton pie with all the trimmings.

Just as guests loosened belts to accommodate replete bellies, and charged their glasses, master entertainer and audacious fund-raiser Peter Hayter opened the auction, the evening’s central event. Clun’s firefighters served as trolley dollies, circulating in the audience and displaying the items on auction. Highlights of this session had to be Graham Whitcott’s stripping off (only to the waist mind!) slinging a teatowel over his toned shoulder to display a Fothergill leather wash-bag. Then, in a momentary show of excessive muscle power, two firefighters, lifted high an antique oak tripod table donated by Ron Hester only to see the top of the table separate itself from the base—luckily quickly sorted. At one point, a handsome stranger, reputed to be a distant relative of Firefighter Paul Slattery but who knows?---jumped onstage brandishing a headmaster’s cane and threatening six of the best to the quivering auctioneer if the bids from the audience didn’t increase pronto.
The entertainment stakes rose as the performers took the stage to sing some wonderful songs and play music. Two past Kickstart winners were among the performers: Lee Jones [Ludlow College 2003] and Jack Rowe [Bishop’s Castle 2011]. Mum’s student from London days, Matt Backer, graced the stage as a highly regarded bass guitarist. Co-co Donaldson performed a spell-binding set, and my mum, along with Ruth Gittins, rounded off the performances with a rendition of ‘The Rose’. As they sang, volunteers presented all guests with a rose.
Long past time to clear the floor and boogie! Mikki Donaldson set the Memorial Hall alight with a set of party dance animal music.
The auction raised £3,500. We are still totting up total donations after costs.
The evening would have thrilled Pete Postlethwaite, who was patron of CKA from its inception in 2001, and who supported the charity unstintingly up to literally weeks before his death on 2 January 2011. There are no words. So I won’t try. One thing I know: Pete told my mum she was starting something beautiful and important with this award in my sister’s memory. That’ll do.

 
Sean Hurcombe [Caitlin’s brother]