Thought I should post this along with an explanation in case you're shocked the next time you call in!
There is a guy who has been on the Lyric team for many years that few of you will have met as he is mostly out on the road, Andy Irwin. There's a guy I play tennis with called Rob Lowry. Both of them have oesophageal cancer and have had chemotherapy and surgery.
It's a situation where you just feel so helpless, what can you possibly do to help ?
While the true answer is little, Gordon, pictured, and myself decided to do that little by running a charity gig with our band The Big Racquet.
Having booked the Belfast Boat Club as a venue we started blagging as much as possible. Gordon's IT support company Net-Consultants runs Finnebrogue Venison/Artisan's systems and through that contact the owners, Christine and Denis, donated 200 excellent burgers and 300 amazing hot dogs, proceeds to be split between Oesophageal Cancer and MacMillan Nurses.
To do justice to this quality of food Andy Rea, the genius head chef from Mourne Seafood, Home restaurant, La Taccheria and if you are old enough to remember Roscoff and Cayenne, came on board, providing gorgeous salads made at HOME restaurant and also one of his top chefs to run the kitchen.
Many other sponsors came in with auction and raffle prizes: Conor's Cafe donated a Neil Shawcross, beautifully framed by Nickel Art.
Generous contributions also came from the Grand Central Hotel, Richer Sounds, Lyric Hifi, of course, Slim's Healthy Kitchen, Simon Bellamy, Belfast Cookery School, Richard Murphy, Charles Wilkinson, and Ian Corry, one of NI's top Knee Surgeons donated a free consultation, a prize that many Boat Club Tennis members could do with!
More was to come, football legend Gerry Armstrong turned up to do an interview with our compere, Stuart McQuitty, and provided a signed limited edition NI shirt for auction.
Biggest ticket of the evening was a unique opportunity, a day out at Wimbledon, playing on the hallowed turf of the All England Tennis club followed by a meal in the members' resta urant.
We then announced that, although people had been very generous up to that point, that £ 1000 in the buckets during the second half would mean that my head would be shaved after the gig, in front of your very eyes!
Following this the dance floor was full as the Big Racquet rocked the night away with songs from Thin Lizzy, George Ezra, Chuck Berry, Robert Palmer, Blondie etc, you get the vibe !
It didnt take long to reach that total and during the second half I announced that we had the money, go nowhere, it's on!
In front of a cheering baying mob my head received a number 0 cut and the hair was gone. Least I could do, many people don't have the luxury of that choice!
Gordon and I started out thinking we could raise £ 1000. On the day of the gig we were confident that we would do £ 4000, and now we have hit £ 7000. Incredible Thanks to everyone who contributed, and if you feel moved to add to our total I would love you to, just click below, and thanks
O, and the reason the payment page says £ 3500 target is that we already have over £ 3500, and payments due through this of the same again
