Fundraisers

It all started with a vague notion that I’d need to do it!

Next year, with the ‘Homecoming’…you know…that great event triggered by the 250th anniversary of Burns’ birth, whereby the whole of the Scottish diaspora is invited back to the homeland, I’d had the idea to tour the show and thought I’d maybe get a head start if I took it to Edinburgh. It was only a vague thought at that point. However fate intervened. Good Friday 2008, I bumped into my old university pal, Anne; what a good Friday that turned out to be. I hadn’t seen her since a reunion dinner for our university course the previous November, and before that it had been years . We went for coffee. By the time the dregs of the americano were drunk, plans for the first fundraiser had been hatched.

So over April and May, Anne, myself and Jane ( my other university pal who has been an absolute stalwart throughout my life) brainstormed, developed and honed our plans for the fundraiser. The date was set for May 17th. Lists of invitees were drawn up, plans for the canape’s and drinks concoted and auction items procured. I was amazed and touched at people’s generosity. We managed to collect six wonderful auction items; champagne and flowers, a hot stones massage,( donated by Jill Maden) ladies designer underwear, (donated by Nicola Dames at www.vblush.com) dinner for two at Cafe Gandolfi,( donated by the lovely Seamus MacInnes) a half day sea kayaking( thankyou Des Morris) and a painting painted especially for the evening by Anne Devine, a well known Glasgow artist ( yes she is related, she is my sister). The painting was an image of Saint Mungo against a background of images of Glasgow.

The big day arrived. The entertainment was organised. People started to arrive and the house quickly filled with sparkling conversation and laughter; what a noise! In period costume I set the ball rolling with a short extract from the play: the staircase and hall of Michael and Anne’s house seemed made for this! Then Louise Macdonald, a wonderful opera singer from Glasgow( and friend) moved the crowds with her rendition of Can’t Help Loving that Man of Mine, accompanied by the fabulous Irene McLellan. Next, Irene and her wonderful singing partner Chriss Mills sang, much to the delight of the assembled throng and then I reappeared in guise of an ageing courtesan and sang Sondheim’s, ‘I never do Anything Twice’ which raised a few eyebrows as well as smiles. Singing over for the moment.

Now we’d arrived at the serious business of the Auction.

Michael Dean, auctioneer extraordinaire for the evening, rallied the troops and skilfully, with great humour and wit, encouraged the generous throng to bid for the items. One by one, all the items went under the hammer with most of them selling for over £100. The last item up was the painting. Anne Devine spoke about the work, how Saint Mungo was a gentle person, with high cheekbones and ‘dove-like’ eyes. The painting with it’s greens and blacks and gold embellishment, was a delicate study in acrylic and inks of Glasgow’s historical past and hopeful future. The bidding started modestly enough at £250. I was holding it up for all to see, and by the time the bidding had reached £800, I had to tell myself not to jiggle my feet so that folk wouldn’t see how excited I was. I was glad the painting obscured my face, folk would’ve seen my tonsils! The hammer came down at £900. A roar went up! Huge applause! Then the totals came in. Together with the donations people had made in cash, into baskets the children had inconspicuously carried around the crowd, and the proceeds of the auction, we’d raised £2300. The party continued with singing and drinking and merriment until the sun came up. What a night!

….to be continued