Nods, winks and raised hands in quick succession kept Ed Bagnall of west country auctioneers Taylor & Fletcher busy as the appeal of seeing the opening Centre Court match in next year’s Wimbledon tennis tournament excited interest at the Harvest Lunch.
In the end, the auction for the two prized tickets, donated by Grieve Carson, were secured by Adrienne Mitchell (left) and husband Steve of ASM PR. Her bid of £675 added to prize draw ticket sales of £1600 took total proceeds for the Charitable Trust capital fund to £2275 – a great result!
From whisky and wine to special days out at Goodwood and Wimbledon, the lucky winners in the Charitable Trust draw took home some great prizes.
Out of the tickets bought before the event or on the day, Guild member Simon Gee won the case of 12 bottles of wine generously donated by Malcolm Bridges, publisher of British Dairying, and said of his first experience of the Harvest Lunch: “It’s a gem of an event and I shall go again for sure.”
Guild member James Lane will be taking a behind-the-scene tour of Wimbledon Tennis Club thanks to Grieve Carson, a trustee of the Guild’s charity, while a Christmas turkey from Claas UK and £80 theatre ticket vouchers from John Deere will be enjoyed by Guild members Hannah Lloyd of Pinstone Communications and Ruth Widén, a specialist in agricultural property and land management PR specialist.
Eddie Gillanders and his wife Marion have a year’s National Trust membership for two – donated by AGCO – to enjoy, but not the very good bottle of malt whisky that Eddie afterwards realised he was perhaps too quick to put back in the draw having already won the National Trust prize!
The whisky, donated by former Guild president Drew Sloan, went to Guild member Rachael Porter, freelance and editor of Cow Management, and a second bottle to Diana Spellman of Partnerships In Purchasing (PIP) who helped source British-grown potatoes, other vegetables and fruit for the lunch.
Freelance Guild member Jenny Botsford, and guest Debby Brown, each have £100 in John Lewis vouchers to spend thanks to Monsanto, while grass management consultant Charlie Morgan, a guest of Yara, can look forward to a relaxing weekend for two at The Farmers Club, courtesy of chief executive and Guild member Stephen Skinner.
Other guests at the Harvest Lunch also struck lucky, including Christianne Glossop, chief veterinary officer for Wales and a guest of Shepherd Publishing, who won £60 worth of garden centre gift vouchers from the NFU.
Guild member Clive Marlow’s guest Richard Nocton, farm and rural services partner at Wilts-based chartered surveyors Woolley & Wallis, has A Perfect Night In steak and wine pack to enjoy, supplied direct from the farm of P&K Gourmet.
But the luckiest winner in the Charitable Trust’s prize draw was surely guest Mike Whittall, who won tickets for two at the Goodwood Festival of Speed motorsport event donated by New Holland Agriculture. Mike is married to Guild chairman Jane Craigie – who last year won tickets for two to the Goodwood Festival of Speed motorsport event…etc, etc!
In the Charitable Trust’s 200 Club draw – annual subscribers from just £10 each get two chances to win each year – the winners this time around were Godfrey Brown, retired national newspaper agricultural correspondent, who won the top prize of £250 and Roger Smith, who recently retired from his book and video publishing business, £100. Winning £50 each were retired staff and freelance photographer Peter Adams and past Guild president Baroness Hazel Byford.
In thanking everyone who supported the fund-raising effort, Charitable Trust chairman Stephen Howe (above) emphasised the scope of the Guild’s own charity: “Don’t think for a minute that the Charitable Trust supports and gives help to only our more senior members, because that’s not the case.
“We are called upon to give confidential help across all age groups – which is why it’s so important that we continue to build the fund; and why I’m grateful to everyone who supported our fund-raising effort today.”
Peter Hill
