After a long 5 years in the planning, our MBF Festival Banquet which was due to be held at the Old Trafford Football Ground was cancelled due to Covid with only a few days to go. But that didn’t stop the festival committee who quickly and swiftly put together a Provincial Ball which was held on the 5th floor at the Manchester Hall, Bridge Street, on January 29th 2022.
The Room was set and laid out, fit for any banquet and the evening started at 6:30 pm with a canapé and champagne reception, along with excellent entertainment from Steve Bayliss who mingled amongst the guests whilst singing some of their favourite tunes at the same time charming the ladies. The PGM, RWBro John Smith, accompanied by his wife Jane, mixed and greeted most of the 165 guests which set the scene for a wonderful evening.
At 7:15 we were seated and treated to a wonderful four-course meal
Menu
Fish Hors D’oeuvres
Breast of Duck with a Sour Cherry Sauce served with a selection of Vegetables and Potatoes
Blackberry and Vanilla Crème Brûlée
British Cheese Platter Coffee and Petit Fours
The President of the Festival, RWBro Alex McLaren, then addressed the guests with a very warm and long-awaited welcome and thanked everyone for their attendance and support, not only on the night but for the duration of the festival. He continued to say how proud he was of the fantastic total of £1,020,603 raised, which far exceeded everyone’s expectation considering the past 2 years in which we were ———- by the Covid-19 pandemic. He also thanked the Festival Committee for all their hard work effort in putting the Festival Ball together at such short notice, he thanked the Staff of Manchester Hall for a wonderful meal and service.
The evening then continued with more entertainment from Steve Bayliss with more of his smooth songs to charm the ladies which got them on their feet dancing and singing along with him.
For those who then wanted to stay and dance the night away, The AIM, a tribute band of Soul and Motown, then sang songs with a blast from the past till the evening concluded about midnight. Finally bringing Our 2021 East Lancashire Mark Festival to an End
A great night was had by all.
Mark Rowe 15th February 2022
Great night good to get back into the social side of life. Not that I ever left it, but with so many people it makes all the difference.