2023 Gala Day: Saturday 10th June
Cuddington and Sandiway Gala
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).
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.
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.