Page 182 - She's One Crazy Lady!

We were invit“
One of the very special highlights of our association with the papers was when the Pride of Northamptonshire Awards were introduced back in 2004 which were sponsored by The Evening Telegraph, The Chronicle & Echo and local business enterprises. Heather, Marilyn and a friend, Lesley Ekins, had nominated me for a Community Award and I was thrilled to be the first recipient with a presentation at The Saints Rugby Ground in Northampton – that, in itself, being a special treat, and where we were to meet James Ledingham (then 14) who was awarded for his musical skills, busking to raise money for charity. James was to enter our world a few years later, when I met his mum at a school I visited and he ended up organising a one-man, sell-out show at the Castle Theatre in Wellingborough, putting together a CD and playing his electric violin to music he had adapted, as he did at many more of our events at dinner and dances and in local shopping centres and supermarkets, entertaining the public and helping to raise a lot of money for us. He was truly very gifted and went on to be a Primary School Teacher. The Pride of Northamptonshire Awards system remained for many years and some very special people connected with the charity also became very worthy recipients – our President, Dr Roy Matthews and Jan Brown (posthumously), one of our former and much-loved Treasurers – the award being collected by her husband Vic, who, like Jan was to die of cancer a few years later. In 2015 we, as a team, were thrilled when we won the Wicksteed Park Choice Award and were presented with our award from Oliver Wicksteed, who, together with his wife, Jane was so, so supportive of what we were doing and
ed to numerous Wicksteed Park events and, of course, the Park, which was very special to my family, was always affectionately known as the ‘Home of Crazy
Hat”
s’. who remain very good friends. We were invited to numerous Wicksteed
Park events and, of course, the Park, which was very special to my family, was always affectionately known as the ‘Home of Crazy Hats’, the staff always so welcoming and supportive too.
Another highlight was when we were chosen to be the recipients of funds raised by the prestigious ‘Image Balls’, that were hosted by The Image Magazine, part of the Telegraph and Chron and held at some of the best venues in North- amptonshire – Highgate House, Whittlebury Hall and The Hilton in Northampton. They were superb black-tie events for which we all had to make an extra effort to dress up for. They were magnificent, glitzy events that attracted large business sponsorships and raised thousands of pounds. We felt so fortunate to be their chosen charity on four occasions.
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