LETTER: Thanks to everyone for help

We would like to thank everyone for all their help at the Christmas Lights Switch-On.

Thank you firstly to everyone involved in the Tulip Queen competition and for the wonderful prizes they received from Springfields Outlet Shopping, Majestic Bingo, Fancy Frox and Hills Department Store.

Once again John Hayes made all the girls very happy by choosing two South Holland ambassadors as well as a Tulip Queen and her deputy, they will benefit hugely in their role as ambassadors for South Holland.

Thank you to Mr Hayes, Simon Stone from Springfield and Mark Jepp from Majestic Bingo who all kindly gave up their time to judge the competition and gave some amazing prizes to the girls.

Afternoon tea at the Houses of Parliament, a meal at Springfields Garden Centre and free family games at Regent Bingo are to be enjoyed.

We would like to thank Flowers ‘n’ Things for helping to provide the bouquets.

Ella looked amazing when she came back with Santa wearing her beautiful new dress and having had her face made up courtesy of Hills Department Store

Thank you to everyone who so kindly gave prizes for the “Just for fun” Dog Show, it was a lot of fun and made many people happy and laughing in the town.

The group of people who are helping with Rebekah’s Wish Charity donated a lot of wonderful prizes and were incredibly supportive.  Barking Mad, Moulton Pet Stores and Highfield Kennels all donated prizes to add to the event, no-one went home empty handed.  Thanks to Sally Sneath for her support and help with the organisation and for being a judge and especially to Jason Rooke and Sam Poole for judging and providing goody bags for every participant.

Thank you to all the teachers, families and friends who spent so much time with the children, teaching them their songs for the School Choir Competition and supporting them at the event.

Also thank you to Jeremy Ransome, editor of the Lincolnshire Free Press and Spalding Guardian, Paul Watkins-Grove, of EMG Motor Group, Mark Jepp, of Majestic Bingo and Dennis Hannant, Town Centre Manager, for sitting about in the rain and judging a very competitive School Choir Competition.

The children entertained us and kept the judges busy, they were all winners in the judges eyes who had a very difficult job to choose the winners. Thank you, without you this event would not have as many people in the town.  Thank you all for staying with us, standing in the rain and waiting for the result of the winning school, who sang again. 

Thank you to Harry Drury for allowing the schools to meet up at Broad Street Business Centre and also for providing the sashes for the winners. 

Thank you to Molsoms Optometrists for being the lost and vulnerable collection point. 

Thank you to our judges for their time, Terry Moore from Bakkavor for providing £100 for every school, EMG Motor Group, Paul Watkins-Groves & Mark Jepp, Majestic Bingo for their donations for the event. All prizes will be presented at the finale on Friday, December 4 at St John The Baptist Parish Church, 10am-11.30am.  All the children enjoyed the Alley Catz and their balloons, courtesy of Dave Charlesworth and James Holland.

The winners of the School Choir Competition were as follows: 1st Ayscoughfee Hall School, 2nd St John the Baptist Primary School, 3rd The Priory School.

Thank you to David Norton for all his hard work leading up to the event, David worked tirelessly to keep the show on the road, Andy Boynton and his team, bringing the stage for us to watch the performers on, without it, a lot of people would not have been able to see the children or the singers performing and looking so happy.

A big thank you to all the entertainers throughout the day, you kept the entertainment going and people singing whilst they were shopping in the town, it would not have been the same without you. Jordan Howlett, Meg Mcpartlin, Peter Jay who came from Peterborough to especially sing for us before being whisked away to another event, Dennis Hannant and Niall Dignell, for their singing, Pinchbeck Tappers and the Zumba demonstration for your performances and lastly those wonderful boys who are back in town, The Aviators -thank you boys, it was great to see you back performing for us once again after so many years away at university.  Thank you to Couns Graham Dark BEM, Angela Newton and Jane King for their kind donations towards the event.

Thank you to the Peterborough Morris Dancers, always great to see these guys in our town and I know they enjoy what they do for us each year.

Thank you to Roz for helping to organise the Royal British Legion Riders, it was good to have them in the town centre this year.  It was good to see the Spalding Marching Ambassadors heading the line up down the street, Spalding & South Holland Rotary Club for bringing the Tulip Queen and Santa, the Police Cadets, John Hayes, Tulipmania Prince, Princess and deputies being driven in Wayne Fitzgerald’s vintage car, kindly driven by Ian, and last of all the Fire Service, who came after having to attend to a fire during our event, they were sorry if you missed them.  It was great to have you all there as always, thank you for your help and support with this event, it wouldn’t be the same without your support each year.

A very big thank you to SHDC, Mike Knight and the team for all the support, help and guidance with barriers and difficult problems that only they could have helped us with, also for all the help and support over the months leading up to the event.  Thank you to the whole team behind the scenes who helped out to make sure of the safety areas.

We are grateful to have Mark Furneaux and his team on standby in case we needed first aid, it was lovely to see you there.

A big thank you to the Royal Naval Association for their continued support again this year, helping us with the children on and off the stage, providing gifts and sweets for the children and being stewards all day.  You stood about in the rain for safety reasons to help the children get on and off the stage. Our events are always entertaining when you are there, bless you for the roll which were very well received and very unexpected.

To all those people who came and helped us steward the event as the crowds got bigger – the Police Cadets, Matthew Clark for organising the Spalding Round Table and his team, Pete Williams and his football teams and the Spalding Chamber of Commerce for their support with everything and their members. Your help to make the event safe was appreciated and to the wonderful people who entertained us and came back to help steward for the “finale”.

Thank you to Nigel at Baytree for donating this year’s Christmas tree once again, the community appreciate the tree being lit up once again in our town.  Also a big thank you to the South Holland District Council for organising the amazing new lights – they look extra special this year.

Lastly thank you to the Tulip Radio team for staying with it and working hard for many months leading up to the event and helping and supporting throughout the whole day, although getting wet through into the bargain! You overcame the technical challenges of delivering the sound and lighting system for the entertainment under very wet conditions.

If I have missed anyone out I am sorry – we were so grateful to you all for coming and making this event entertaining and a success.

Please pass on our thanks to everyone in your teams, schools choirs, teachers, parents and acts who have helped us to make the event possible.

If Tulip Radio can help you with anything, please do not hesitate to ask, it has been a pleasure working with you all.

Jan Whitbourn
Tulip Radio