Imperial Charity’s record- breaking annual variety show

Imperial Charity held its Annual Variety Show  at the Paragon Hall, Westbury, on Sunday 19th January.  The popular event raised even more money than previous years.

The charity reports, “The show is free to people of all ages with special needs and senior citizens. The hall was filled to capacity with 230 people predominantly from Westbury, Warminster and Trowbridge but also from further afield. Bob Summerfield said if space had permitted, there were another 30 people on the waiting list for tickets! 

“In his introduction to the show, Bob mentioned the recent death of David McCance, the co-founder of the charity and assured the audience that his legacy would live on through the charity which will celebrate its 30th year this year. Everyone gave a spontaneous round of applause in his honour, which was very gratifying. It was also a pleasure to see David’s widow, Marilyn, and his daughter, Ella, in the audience.

“This year was slightly different as the show was supported by Westbury Court Care Home, through Justine Cowell, the business development manager for brighterkind. They very generously arranged  for the printing of posters, adverts and tickets and Justine provided a “goodie bag” for everyone to take home.

“Martin Smith got the show started with his unique style of comedy and accordion playing and soon had everyone joining in a sing-a-long. 

“He was followed by a duo, Young at Heart, who performed a succession of old hits that seemed to bring back memories for many, to the extent that some of them couldn’t resist getting up and rocking in the aisles. Perhaps a gentle swaying of the hips may be a more apt description! 

“Our evergreen favourite, Vanessa, then entertained us with her Country and Western singing that people enjoy so much. 

“The final act of the afternoon was Peter Baffles. He has to be one of the funniest comedy magicians around. The audience were in stitches with his humour and completely entranced with his magical tricks, which also involved members of the audience at times.

“A quick mention of the buffet. This magnificent spread is produced almost single-handedly by Judy Fogarty with help from her son Wayne and on the morning of the show, by Julie-Anne, Pauline and Sylvia to help with last minute items. We feel the buffet has become almost as big a draw as the show itself. There are never any refusals for second helpings or “doggie bags” at the end. 

“Bob said on behalf of the charity he would like to say thank you to the lovely ladies who make such wonderful cakes, particularly Liz Jones who produces a vast amount of truly wonderful cakes that greatly enhance the buffet.

“Overall the show was a huge success judging by all the happy faces at the end. Bob said the success can also be measured by the staggering amount of donations given at the end, which broke all previous records. This money, together with the funds raised by the raffle, will go to further the charity’s activities. Members of staff and volunteers  agree that all the hard work getting the show together is well worth it.”