charity auction (Dorset Squadron) annual dinner

28th Annual Dinner and Dance
Saturday 10th October 2009
The Carrington House Hotel
Bournemouth-on-Sea

180 diners sat down and enjoyed the dinner this year - and enjoyed General Barney even more with his speech. As with previous years, we had the auction in aid of the Household Cavalry Operational Casualties Fund, and with monies donated as listed below we were able to top up the charity 'pot' by £5000.00
Listed below are the five items that we auctioned and the other donations and deails ...

Item 1. Coca Cola bottle-opener - A mass produced example in bright silver metal with eyehole for attachment to string, wire etc. This is a robust pre-loved and experienced item that has seen service in many countries. Comes with to crate 20 x ½ litre bottles of Paderborner Export beer.
Winning bid of £90 from Carl Murray - Brian Mmurray's son.

Item 2. Waterloo 1815 - Two 75cl bottles of barley malt beer, Waterloo Triple 7 Triple, 7.5% alcohol and Waterloo Double 8 Dark, 8.5% alcohol - both bottles bear the intact bottle seal number 1541. Pine racked with a matching pair of 1815 style ceramic rustic Belgium beer cups. Rare and delicious beers with a brewery very near to the site where both the Household Cavalry and Royal Dragoons achieved victory in 1815.
Winning bid of £140 from John Finnie.

Item 3. Vallegre Vista Alegre Port - A presentation set of sealed four half bottles of 10, 20, 30 and 40 year old wooden cask matured port, all bottled in 2007. The Vallegre estate is one of the oldest and original of Portugal . All finely presented in cedar wood as a boxed set. Mint and brand new, all seals intact.
Winning bid of £180 - that John Finnie again

Item 4. Drum Table – The very last of a series of four hand-made drum tables by Member John Hawley. It was John’s inspiration that led to the first auction and has benefited the Fund so well. In divisional colours with the three cap badges on the side and the Household Cavalry badge centered on the top, supported on four gate leg mahogany legs with circular centre plate. Inscribed with John’s mark on the underside of the drum.
Dimensions: height 50 cm and diameter 30 cm
Winning bid of £550 - Len Knox.

Item 5. Household Cavalry Girandole. This is a brand new item, designed by Thomas Messel, who was an officer with The Blues and Royals from 1969 to 1974, he is now a much respected international furniture designer, a winner of several Guild Marks, a D&D award and is a member of the Awards Committee of The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers.The Household Cavalry girandole design was inspired by the insignia of the Household Cavalry and is finished in burnished water gilt 24ct gold leaf over a hand carved cast resin base. The glass is ‘brilliant cut’ with the E II R cipher and silvered with a unique antiqued sliver “mercury” process. The arm is 24ct bronze ormolu, cast from a 17th century Venetian master. Dimensions – height 50 cm, width 24 cm. Signed and dated by Thomas Messel.
Winning bid of £1900 by - yes -Len Knox again!

But there is more - John Finnie bid £1800 and Len topped with the winner - but john was offered another girondle at his bid of £100 and John accepted and purchased a girondole! Gentleman you are Sir!

Harry Maplesden raised £122 locally and Vic Sturrock sent in £50 in lieu of attending and we had a donation of £20 from Miss Jo Smith. That gave us £4832.00 so Dorsetsquadron tooped the money off from the raffle to make £5000.00 in total!

And we had a rattling good night - and a good Sunday morning too!!

Watch out for the newsletter later in the month and get ready with them £2 coins for next year!!