On Friday, November 4 in the New Hall, Winchelsea, the stage was set for the corporation’s Spanish evening and what an evening it turned out to be. Seven mayors attended, resplendent in their regalia to support this fund-raising event.
The hall was very colourful with red and yellow bunting and stunning fan-embellished floral table centrepieces. Guests were greeted on arrival with a glass of cava or sherry before settling down to enjoy the first dance session by Flamenco y Danza, expertly accompanied by their guitarist Diego Roque.
With amazing costumes, impressive dancing and haunting music, the audience could easily have felt that it was in Spain. Next on the agenda came the varied selection of fifteen tapas dishes, with a centrepiece of a whole Sorrano ham generously donated by the Spanish food company Brindisa and expertly carved by Jamie Wickens.
The varied and impressive selection of food, including substantial dishes of paella, were prepared and served by Winchelsea residents. It was a mammoth task and the food was delicious.
After the second dance display, pudding was served. This was the traditional Torta de Santiago, formerly known as Torta Real, made from a recipe dating back 500 years which, no doubt, was eaten by pilgrims travelling from Winchelsea along the Camino de Santiago – some routes of which were marked by gold painted scallop shells. Our rector, Jonathan Meyer, undertook this pilgrimage some years ago and gave a short talk about his experience.
The final dance session was followed by an impromptu flamenco lesson much enjoyed by the participating members of the audience. The event concluded with a very successful raffle which raised £465, followed by the auction of a picture of a Flamenco dancer by local artist Cheryl Fraser-Sampson.
In conclusion, David and Sandra Merrifield said, “We would like to thank all those involved who worked so hard to make the evening such an enjoyable success. A total of around £3,000 was raised for the charities of the mayor and mayoress – the Corporation of Winchelsea and Demelza House Children’s Hospice. It was an amazing evening full of fun and laughter and a few interesting dance moves. It was certainly a team effort, and we are so grateful for all the hard work beforehand and during the event.”
Image Credits: Kt bruce .
Great photographs KT!!
Unable to tick a ‘like’, which I would have done, had it worked! This sounds like a well organised, amazing event!!