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2024 Gala Day will be Saturday 8 June

 

 

 

2024 Gala Day

THE 2024 VILLAGE GALA WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY JUNE 8TH.

Preparations will be starting in the New Year.  A number of loyal volunteers have retired this year, leaving the Team short of help on the day for setting up and other aspects of organization.  We are therefore asking for new volunteers to come forward to help on the day with tasks which are needed to ensure safety.

If you think you could help please contact the team on email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

Gala Day Royalty Selection Event on Sunday 24th March

 

2023 Gala Day

The day of our 2023 Gala started with the threat of a thunderstorm at 3pm (or many variations on that depending on which weather forecast you use).  We wondered how many  participants would cry off for fear of being struck by lightning – the answer was none!  Fortunately instead the sun shone relentlessly and people could be found sheltering in shady corners wherever they could find them.

We were pleased to be able to welcome performances from old favourites we have not seen since before covid.  The ATC Marching Band  set the tone with a rousing opening performance  which was complemented by Weaverham High School band’s stunning finale at the other end of the day.  In between we had the return of Hartford Gymnastics and, on the field, Winnington Bowmen.  There were new displays to delight the audience too, from Unity Dance Academy and Lunar Dance UK who were experiencing the thrill of their first public performance.   Barnton Circus provided thrills and spills for the audience and children trying out new skills.

No Gala would be complete without our local children.  There was the joyous sound of the combined choir from our two junior schools, and of course the star of the show, this year’s Cuddington & Sandiway Community Queen, Ava Boylan and her entourage (see more pictures below).

Mid Cheshire Beekeepers stall

New interest on the stall rows was provided by Mid Cheshire Beekeepers with an observation hive where crowds of people were fascinated by the bees going about their chores.  Also very popular was a little hedgehog rescued by Northwich Hedgehog Rescue which, although too injured to be released back into the wild, seems to be destined for a celebrity life raising funds to help its brethren. 

Hedgehog Rescue stall

 

 

Our 2023 Community Queen and her retinue 

 

Our 2023 Scarecrow Competition entrants  (PRESS HERE to view the scarecrows)

Our 2023 Citizenship Awards:

Each year we present two Citizenship shields at the Gala:
One is for an adult who has ‘demonstrated outstanding commitment to, support of and/or delivery of a service to the Cuddington and Sandiway community’, and
the other is a junior award for a young person under 18 who has done ‘something really special’.

These accolades are awarded by you, the residents of our village.  The winners of these prestigious awards this year are:

     Citizenship Award   - Kathryn Holmes

Kathryn Holmes has been  Musical Director at St John's for the past 30 years with all that that entails. She organises monthly musical concerts and lunches for the village and many other concerts besides. She also has been the driving force behind the Ark Community cafe and its team of volunteers which during Covid also prepared and delivered over a hundred lunches per week to our village community. Kathryn has been one of  the main instigators behind us having a weekly food hub in the village for which we have seen an unprecedented demand in recent weeks.

She has the ability to motivate and inspire people to get involved in helping in the community with her boundless energy and enthusiasm.

 

     Junior Citizenship   - Emily and William Hamilton

Over the past 12 months Emily and William have been a huge help to mum and dad, helping with housework and  caring for their 2 dogs while mum has suffered with a  displaced spinal disc and been hospitalised on numerous occasions. William, then aged 6, phoned 999 when mum’s spinal disc displaced, and then rang dad to come home.  Emily has helped with getting mum dressed on days when she couldn’t even get out of bed. Through all this they didn’t complain when they were unable to have holidays or days out and still carried on with their school work and even joined a community litter pick.

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2022 Gala Day: PRESS HERE to see our report

2021 Scarecrows: PRESS HERE to see our winners

2019 Gala Day: PRESS HERE to see our report

2018 Gala Day: PRESS HERE to see pictures and report

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
Gala  Chair

Emma Lea Bennett

Bethany Hulm

Thelma Mannington

 

Sandiway Primary School PTA

2015

Animals

Lee Jones
Gala  Chair

Hannah McDonald

Hannah Rich

Val Godfrey

 

Sandiway Pantomime Group

2016

Olympic Carnival

Lee Jones
Gala  Chair

Nadia Jones

Isobel Ridley

Elaine Beech

 

The Neuro Muscular Centre

2017

Superheroes & Princesses

Lee Jones
Gala  Chair

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
(see Sept Round Tower)

 

2022

Platinum Jubilee   Freya Whittaker Amy Spruce John and Eileen Kerrigan Mason Karpinski  Royal British Legion

2023

Wonderful Wildlife    Ava Boylan   Tilly Belshaw Kathryn Holmes  Emily & William Hamilton  Cheshire Bee Keepers

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
A shark

Brotherton family
Two penguins

Sandiway Library
An owl

Four Paws
Mr. Mole

-

-

2016

Olympic Carnival

Kershaw family
Sync. Swimmers

Griffin family
Gymnast on bars

Hollybank Vet Surg
Rio All-Star

Pettypool Trust
Rio Carnival Queen

The MCSME
Horseman

The Youth Club
Carnival Queen

2017

Superheroes & Princesses

Brotherton family
The Hulk

Powell family
Doctors and Nurses

Four Paws
The Hulk

Cuddington Boarding Cattery
Princess Aurora

The MCSME
George and the Dragon

St John's Church
Miracle of feeding the 5,000

2018

Cinema

Smith Family
Singing in the Rain

Brotherton Family
Finding Nemo

Hollybank Vet Surg
Lady and Tramp

Petty Pool Trust
Pinocchio

Methodist Church
Cameraman

The MCSME
Who Killed Roger Rabbit

2019

Storybook Animals

Shirley & Jacqui
Dumbo

Smith Family
Aslan

Hollybank Vet Surg
The Lorax

The MCSME
Rupert Bear

Sandiway Lodge
Winnie the Pooh

St John's Church
Very Hungry Caterpillar

2021


My Favourite Things

Clarke Family
Captain Tom

Whittaker Family
The Enderman

       

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
   

2023

Wonderful Wildlife

54 Sandown Crescent
Fox
22 East Lane
Owl
Sandiway Primary
Wendy the Wildlife Warrior
Village Youth Club
Bees
   

(We would be grateful to receive any information which might 'fill in the blanks' in these tables!)