It's grand at The Grand

Friday 10 February 2012
The Grand was a sell out tonight. The Buddy Holly Winter Dance Party came up trumps and were very entertaining. The music is predictable and 50's but the very slick band were superbly authentic. Four alternating lead vocalists with Americanised accents did the trick even though the eight performers in the band are from various parts of this country. The audience loved it. They were there for a fix and that's just what they got: the opportunity to relive their youth.

My reason for being there tonight was the same as usual and it wasn't to see the act! I love the volunteering. Someone, somewhere must have analysed the need to volunteer. Mum used to say it's better to give than take and I think that sums it up. I enjoy the company and the craic. I like being the one that knows how to sort out things. Oh dear, I'm becoming a bit of an old retainer. The Grand has its 4th birthday at the end of March by which time I'll have been there two and a half years. Maybe in this day and age that does make me the old retainer! It's good to be needed. It's even better to get the exercise. Cycling the 14 miles round trip keeps me well and any time spent out on the bike makes me feel alive. It's a win win state of affairs being a volunteer!

Saturday 11 February 2012
At The Grand again. Tonight is the Clitheroe Royal Grammar School Swing Band concert in association with the Ribble Valley Jazz and Blues Club. Excellent youth band doing their thang! It's so satisfying seeing young talent in the making. The band leader Nigel Spooner has a line in bad jokes between pieces adding a certain something to proceedings. They are groan/ cracker jokes but in their own way that's good! We got a bonus tonight in the form of the talented ex-pupils making up the John Wickham Trio: John; Tom and Adam. They were regulars at the Friday lunchtime jazz until university called so we're familiar with their excellent performances and were given a real treat.

It's been below freezing quite a lot over the last couple of weeks. Cycling in those temperatures is no problem provided adequate layers are employed. Actually, the dry cold adds a certain something to the ride, a freshness, a zing. It's one of the characteristics we need to make each season its own.

Peter's Bus Pass Party for Pendleside

It’s nearly a year now since my Ceilidh and time I reported back to all you partygoers and loyal fundraisers for Pendleside Hospice. I will also update you on the other events of 2011 in which I was able to help with Pendleside's fundraising. Please note: no bike was harmed at any of these fundraising events!

Firstly, there’s the outcome of the actual Bus Pass Party fundraising. Donations made by you in lieu of presents for my 60^th birthday amounted to £533. Thank you so much for your generosity. The whole of this amount attracted a matched donation from my former employers, now Santander Bank, taking the total to an amazing £1066. In fact, it became “£1066 And All That” with the Gift Aid supplement that so many of you subscribed to. Not only did we conquer the £1000 mental target I’d originally dreamed of (did you like that?!) but Pendleside actually received a grand total of £1168. A huge thank you and congratulations to you all. A very impressive outcome. The event was also a great pleasure to host in Gill's memory. We always loved a good ceilidh. It was a particular dream come true with Quadrille at the helm and to be able to hold it at The Grand. Many thanks to all involved in making it such a success not forgetting yourselves and niece Kate for the fabulous photo album. She's recorded you and my bus pass for posterity, many times over!

On a glorious summer's day in August, remember it?! Pendleside responded to The Jane Tomlinson Appeal for volunteers to marshall the inaugral Walk For All: Yorkshire Dales Walking Festival at Settle. I marshalled a mile before the end where all the four walks came together. The good weather was great and there was lots of craic with the weary walkers. The day was very successful for all the charities involved and looks likely to become an annual event. Indeed, Jane’s Appeal is going from strength to strength with these fundraisers under the headings of Walks, Swims and Runs For All (look out for one near you very soon!) I’m very pleased by that. I always felt a connection between Gill and Jane as they had the same cancer at the same time. Even better though, on the day it was clear that many of the walkers were getting a lot out of it, doing something beyond the norm for them. Let’s hope they keep it up!

The last Sunday in October saw Pendleside’s own event, the Halloween Walk, appropriately enough on Pendle Hill. It was a quite bitter day but this year there was no mist over Pendle! Our efforts helped raise around £4500 but, it has to be said the best bit was the pie and peas supper at the end!

As those living locally will know, in November I arranged a Bus Pass Party cheque presentation for Pendleside’s publicity machine resulting in an article in the Burnley Express.

Finally, in December the now annual M&S Bag Pack happened again in Burnley. Of the thirteen day period over which it took place up to shop closing on Christmas Eve I spent seven half days supervising the volunteers. What a great experience again. It’s so nice working in such a positive and festive atmosphere with staff, customers and volunteers all joining in the spirit of it. Uncanny too, they’re so generous in Burnley that, when we met at M&S in January for a photo call for the local press customers were still trying to give us donations in our fake collecting buckets! The total this time was a record £16,414, even in recession. It just shows what can be done.