What a fantastic night!

The sun shone, the countryside looked magnificent and the crowds arrived. The villagers marshalled, the farmer mowed the car park, the bands played, the Pimms flowed and the guests opened their purses and wallets for three great charities.

Music in the Meadow is a fun night out for all the family held in the grounds of our house which nestles in a valley in the east of Leicestershire. Surrounded by mature trees our quiet little village that houses only 80 inhabitants suddenly was rocking to the sound of music - and lots of it!

Last Saturday night we raised £27,500 for charity from a relatively small pop concert. Around 600 folk enjoyed their picnics, drank a few bevies and danced the night away to great music in aid of a charity called Steps that helps children with celebral palsy and Down syndrome (http://www.stepscentre.org/); a 25 year-old young man who had his neck broken whilst training for the under 21’s England Rugby team five years ago, (www.matthampson.co.uk); and the village hall and church of Ashby Folville where the event was hosted.

A ‘Mega Raffle’ is the main fund raiser with no less that 10 holidays or breaks to be won from South Africa to Turkey, Center Parcs to the Marriott County Hall Hotel in London, from Ragdale Hall to Stapleford Park both in Leicestershire. Then there’s the Tombola to beat all tombolas. Hundreds of super prizes up for grabs with a great chance of winning as we up the stakes from one in ten to one in six chances of winning. No one goes away disappointed.

But this year we’d been given a diamond necklace by Goldsmiths, a CAT watch by Lumbers and a crystal flying dolphin by Swarovski, so we ran an extra raffle for the night which raised an extra £500.

The key to our event raising so much cash is simply that there are no expenses deducted. The bands (four of them: three local and one from the USA - Don Watson and his band who flew in specially from Vail, Colorado for the event), all play for free. The marquees are provided by Owen Brown. The toilets and the generator that enable the event to happen are paid for by Raynsway Properties. The electrics, staging, lighting and technical back-up is given by Hawthorn. Then there’s the insurance, printing, website, design, publicity and much more – all given for free.

Even the Pimms and the wine that’s sold during the event is paid for by a sponsor. There are no expenses.

The end result - a fantastic night of fun and everybody wins. Long may Music in the Meadow continue and long may we dance and laugh, spend and smile and enjoy every moment of a very special event. Thank you all for coming, helping, supporting and giving. It was fun!

To view the pictures taken during the event (thank you Lionel Heap) and for the winners of our raffle prizes, log on to http://www.musicinthemeadow.co.uk/.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME, EVERYONE WHO GAVE AND EVERYONE WHO MADE IT FUN!