The Barleycorn Inn D-Day 80 ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL success
D-Day 80 Anniversary Event: The Collingbournes, our villages, our local history, our voices, our success!!
When Tom & Terry first heard of the national D-Day 80th Anniversary event, they knew they would have to get the Barleycorn Inn involved. As major supporters of the UK's armed forces and veterans they, and a small team of volunteers, worked tirelessly to create an inclusive 3-Day, D-Day 80 Anniversary Festival, involving international, national organisations and local community groups, and we knocked the ball right out of the park!!!
D-Day 80, Day 1
We followed the national programme of events opening the event with the D-Day 80 proclamation announced by Mr Humphrey Sheppard FGIntPT and prayers read by the very reverend Alan Deboo. The announcements were followed by the opening of our 3-Day, D-Day 80 exhibition at Collingbourne Kingston Village Hall by Mr Charles Howard, a fish & chip lunch at the Barleycorn Inn, an evening of story telling and remembrance, accompanied by the bells of St Mary's church ringing peals of peace and culminating in the Bill Millin's Tribute played by the lone piper, Mr Eric Dougherty of the Wiltshire Caledonian Pipes & Drums. At ten past nine the pipes fell silent and the very reverend Alan Deboo delivered prayers of remembrance and for peace. At exactly nine-fifteen, the D-Day 80 Beacon was lit by Mr Richard Semple, the Chairman of Collingbourne Kingston Parish Council.
D-Day 80, Day 2
On the second day of the D-Day 80 Anniversary Event we focused on the involvement of local children and families. The exhibition was visited by local school children who enjoyed the evacuee experience, learned all about the 1940's Home from the Women's Institute, Digging for Victory from the Collingbourne Gardening club, the Soldier's life from world-renowned WW2 re-enactment group, Monty's Misfits, Make do and Mend, and Rationing from Wiltshire Green Woollies before receiving their 2oz weekly sweet ration before visiting their art wall and looking at the amazing letters, pictures and dioramas that they had created.
In the evening the exhibition remained open as we presented the People's Picnic on the Green at Collingbourne Kingston Village Hall with music provided by the sensational Salisbury Big Band, who were absolutely amazing, and played to an audience of about 150 people who had all turned out to support this free family event with their own picnics, but also enjoyed the onsite BBQ and the Barleycorn Inn's licenced bar in the hall. Despite an early rain shower during the sound check and a few dark clouds, the skies cleared, the sun shone and everyone had a fabulous, fun packed evening.
D-Day 80, Day 3
On the third and final day of the D-Day Anniversary Event the exhibition received visitors from all around the area and in the morning the old gals of Wiltshire Green Woollies Knitted for Victory and demonstrated wool carding and hand spinning to visitors. Monty's Misfits were carrying out various re-enactments an regaled visitors with descriptions of their exhibits whilst the Wiltshire Caledonian Pipes & Drums band members demonstrated how to play the Chanter and drums.
In the afternoon, visitors were once again entertained by a free musical event; the wonderful Retro Rita sung her heart out in front of an excited crowd who enjoyed picnics and our BBQ and Bar.
The evening saw the final event of the three days, the tickets were all sold out and wow, this one really knocked it out of the park! Guests were welcomed to the event by the soaring sounds of the pipes and we attracted lots of spectators who were filming the band from the road. Guests entered Collingbourne Kingston Village Hall dressed in WW2 themed costumes; the Women's Land Army were out in force, as were the Home Guard, the RAF, The Royal Navy and the Air Raid Wardens. We even had a few Spivs.
Everyone was treated to a luxury WW2 buffet (a months food rations in one night) and then danced the night away to the beautiful voice of Sinead McCabe and the Gershwin Gang. At just gone 9pm our charity auction kicked-off and was masterfully conducted by Gerald Barclay Balding. There was some fierce bidding and finally we raised just over £5,400.00 with a small number of lots remaining unsold. The unsold lots will be offered on this website shortly.
After the auction closed, Sinead and the rest of the Gershwin Gang played the final set with the Ball closing just after midnight.
£10K target for the D-Day 80 Charities
Tom, Terry & the team at the Barleycorn set an aggressive target of raising £10,000 during the D-Day 80 Anniversary event and it looks like we are very close to making it. The D-Day 80 Ball was a great success and tickets sold out. We raised over £5,400.00 at the charity auction and are in the process of completing the accounts for the event before they are audited and we can declare a final tally, which we hope will be by the end of the Month.
The funds that we have raised will be divided equally between the five charities nominated by the D-Day 80 national event coordinators, shown above, and you can still donate to this directly via the just giving pages on our here if you would like to.
Together we could do this... and we did!
This event was long in the planning, and not without difficulty, but we knew, that if we worked together and pulled together, that we could deliver an event that the whole of Collingbourne Kingston and the local community could be proud of.
Tom, Terry & the Team at the Barleycorn Inn would like to thank the following people and organisations, who came together, to make the Barleycorn Inn's 3-Day, D-Day 80 Anniversary Festival of Remembrance & Fundraising possible:
Acqua Garden, Andover Radio, Army Benevolent Fund, Gerald Barclay Balding, Braksprear Breweries, British Forces Broadcasting Service Salisbury, Castledown FM, Baz & Lorraine Clements, Steve Clements, Berkmann Wine Cellars, Collingbourne Kingston Parish Council, Collingbourne Kingston Village Hall Committee, Collingbourne Bell Ringers ‘The Clangers’, Collingbourne Gardening Club, Gardners Butchers, Collingbourne Women’s Institute, Coopers Foods, Core Exhibitions, COTSWOLD outdoor, Cynthia Crook, Jane Crook, Tim Crook, Stephanie & Mark Daubney, Rev Alan Deboo, Adam Dews, Eric Dougherty, Fade Station Ludgershall, Sandra & John Fisher, Gastro Nicks, Mike Graham, The Gershwin Gang, Hillview Garage, Chris Keating, Danny Kruger & family, Steve Latham, Claire Lingard-McKay, Phil & Gill McIntyre, Monty’s Misfits & Mascot Meg, Newbury Race Course, Nespresso UK, Charlie Pike Racing Stables, Carolyn & Francis Prew, Philip Palmer, Core Exhibitions, RacingClub.com, Retro Rita, R Crook & Sons, Richard Hannon Racing, Richard Semple, Salisbury Big Band, Samsung UK, Humphrey Sheppard FGIntPT, Chris Smith, TalkTV London, Tidworth Golf Club, Steve Trick, Mark Trick, Upavon Golf Club, Sue Vallis, Wiltshire Caledonian Pipes & Drums band, Natalie Williams, Wiltshire Green Woollies, Working the Greener Way – Online, Jordan Wylie MBE, Julie’s Hairdressing – Tidworth and…..
Most importantly….
YOU:
The people of Collingbourne Kingston, Collingbourne Ducis, Everleigh, Burbage, Ludgershall, Shipton Bellinger, Pewsey, Marlborough, Hungerford and the surrounding area, who have so generously given of your time and who have supported this event.
Tom, Terry & the Team at the Barleycorn Inn, Collingbourne Kingston….. aka “The little pub, in a blink of a village, in Wiltshire”!
Together we did it!
Thank you all for your amazing and generous support, from the bottom of our hearts.
Christmas at the Barleycorn Inn
We are getting ready for Christmas! Decorating, cooking, planning. Planning to make this Christmas the best Christmas ever for our friends, customers and guests.