RED DRESS RUN = click here for the photos
There was a sea of red as we gathered outside the pub for our 1000th run. The Haiti appeal buckets we were to carry soon attracted what little attention the red dresses failed to gather. Coins started to roll in even before we began the collections.
The red dresses were spectacular (or do I mean we made a spectacle of ourselves?) and ranged from Natasha’s sexy thigh high split through to twin tutus, and from the bling of Jane’s shiny red wig to Mark’s ingenuity in converting a jumper into a skirt.
Off we set - down to the first stop in Ade’s shop where we were greeted with smiling faces and red balloons, which we took around the rest of the trail. The Long Short split took the Longs up the long hard hill towards Cressex. On the way we collected a shopping trolley for a short way – or rather the shopping trolley collected Bernie who was pushed uphill at great speed by Matt and Yob. The inelegance of shopping trolleys ensured that Bernie couldn’t help displaying an entirely new side to her character.
Helen also came up with the concept of invisible check backs – but as she caught herself more than anyone else we shouldn’t really complain. Obviously we did complain, but we shouldn’t have done so.
Pausing only to collect more buckets from Aud, the competition to collect more money from passers by intensified, with Roz almost mugging a couple of motorists – but as they left smiling I guess they enjoyed the experience. Into the welcoming environs of ASDA, whose tannoy announcement helped greatly, and then on to the pre-arranged run around John Lewis – we had got as far as the cafeteria before we were politly asked to collect outside. One lady tipped her purse up into the bucket (I am sure the condom will come in useful). Another lady, actually the wife of a client of, gave an extra £5 just because of my suspenders.
Staggering on under the rapidly increasing weight of money, we eventually found ourselves back in the pub, where a good time was had by all.
Just as staggering as us wobbling under the weight of the collection was the £1550 we collected! Well done all!