2023 Gala Day date is set:
Saturday 10 June
June 4th, which coincided with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Celebrations, saw the return of our village gala after a two year absence due to covid restrictions. The sun shone and hundreds of people came out to celebrate. The stars of the show were two donkeys, Geoffrey and Danny, who came to spend the afternoon with us from Duster’s Ark animal sanctuary in Hartford. They didn’t realize they were lucky to be alive, they just enjoyed the grass on the playing field and placidly observed their many visitors. Chugging along the railway line we had a miniature steam train this year, somehow always more exciting than their diesel cousins.
In the arena the wow factor came from 2 spectacular displays by Barnton Circus. This was their first time at the gala and they performed a spirited musical comedy number and an aerial display for which they are famous and which had the crowd gasping.
There was, of course, the crowning of our very own Community Queen, Freya Whittaker, by a former queen, Val Miller. All this was rounded off by items showing local talent from Sandiway Pantomime Group and JIMS, a music group from St John’s church. Our village gala is well and truly back.
Freya attends Sandiway Primary School and enjoys everything sporty. She plays football for Cuddington & Sandiwayand also does gymnastics and roller skating as well as walking her pug. No surprise then that she will be fundraising for the Youth Sport Trust.
The 2022 Scarecrow competition took place during the Spring Bank Holiday and the village was once again populated with many scarecrows The theme this year was 'Influential Women'.
The 2021 Scarecrow competition took place during May Bank Holiday and the theme this year has been 'My Favourite Things'.
The Winners:
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Runner-up:
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Special Guests & Awards
|
Gala Year |
Theme |
Opening Guest |
Gala Queen |
Gala Princess |
Citizenship Award |
Junior Citizenship |
Best Stall Award |
|
2010 |
Africa / World Cup 2010 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
??? |
|
|
2011 |
??? |
Rev. John Hughes |
Shannon Steele |
Natasha Jones |
Michael Harwood |
St. John’s Church |
|
|
2012 |
The Olympics |
Shirley Strong & Andrew Carter |
Natasha Jones |
Nadia Jones |
Dr. Peter Chivers |
St. John’s Church |
|
|
2013 |
Showtimes |
Cllr. Charles Fifield |
Charlotte McDonald |
Keira Coppeck |
Linda Smith |
Cuddington Primary School PTA |
|
|
2014 |
Children’s Stories |
Lee Jones |
Emma Lea Bennett |
Bethany Hulm |
Thelma Mannington |
Sandiway Primary School PTA |
|
|
2015 |
Animals |
Lee Jones |
Hannah McDonald |
Hannah Rich |
Val Godfrey |
Sandiway Pantomime Group |
|
|
2016 |
Olympic Carnival |
Lee Jones |
Nadia Jones |
Isobel Ridley |
Elaine Beech |
The Neuro Muscular Centre |
|
|
2017 |
Superheroes & Princesses |
Lee Jones |
Layla Parks-Smith |
Penelope Eaton |
Ruth Taylor |
Beau Rachel Griffin |
Cuddington & Sandiway Primary Schools |
|
2018 |
Cinema |
- |
Evie Whittaker |
Millie Hubert-Powell |
Ken Nixon |
Amy Vaughan |
Sandiway Pantomime Group |
|
2019 |
Storybook Animals |
Councillor Gillian Edwards |
Scarlett Joice |
Beatrice Macleod |
Gerry & Margaret Card |
Tilly Rees |
Cuddington & Sandiway Tennis Club |
|
2021
|
Oscar Jones |
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2022 |
Platinum Jubilee | Freya Whittaker | Amy Spruce | John and Eileen Kerrigan | Mason Karpinski | Royal British Legion |
In 2017, the "Dr Peter Chivers Award for Junior Citizen of the Year" was introduced.
Scarecrow Competition Winners
|
Gala Year |
Theme |
Household 1st |
Household 2nd |
Organisation 1st |
Organisation 2nd |
Voluntary 1st |
Voluntary 2nd |
|
2010 |
Africa / World Cup 2010 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2011 |
??? |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
2012 |
The Olympics |
The Hough family Javelin thrower |
The Morris family Judo combatants |
Hollybank Vet Surg Relay runners |
Network Nurseries Archer |
- |
- |
|
2013 |
Showtimes |
The Purkiss family Peter Pan |
The Liddle family Captain Jack Sparrow |
Sandiway Methodist Church Fiddler on the roof |
St. John’s Church Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat |
- |
- |
|
2014 |
Children’s Stories |
The Liddle family Winnie the Witch |
Brotherton family The Gruffalo |
Sandiway Lodge Long John Silver |
Four Paws Spot the Dog |
- |
- |
|
2015 |
Animals |
The Cole family |
Brotherton family |
Sandiway Library |
Four Paws |
- |
- |
|
2016 |
Olympic Carnival |
Kershaw family |
Griffin family |
Hollybank Vet Surg |
Pettypool Trust |
The MCSME |
The Youth Club |
|
2017 |
Superheroes & Princesses |
Brotherton family |
Powell family |
Four Paws |
Cuddington Boarding Cattery |
The MCSME |
St John's Church |
|
2018 |
Cinema |
Smith Family |
Brotherton Family |
Hollybank Vet Surg |
Petty Pool Trust |
Methodist Church |
The MCSME |
|
2019 |
Storybook Animals |
Shirley & Jacqui |
Smith Family |
Hollybank Vet Surg |
The MCSME |
Sandiway Lodge |
St John's Church |
|
2021 |
|
Clarke Family |
Whittaker Family |
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2022 |
Influential Women |
79 Ash Road The Queen and her corgis |
24 Foxhill Cl. Emmeline Pankhurst |
Village Youth Club Florence Nightingale |
The MCSME Florence Nightingale at Blakemere |
(We would be grateful to receive any information which might 'fill in the blanks' in these tables!)