The checked shirts, cowboy boots and hats were out in force on September 23rd as we held the annual village barn dance. The fabulous Tithe Barn was the perfect venue as always, packed with enthusiastic dancers of all ages; fairy lights and gingham tablecloths added to the atmosphere.
Liz Cocker, a Trustee of The Friends of St Mary’s, welcomed everyone to the dance and explained a little about our work to preserve the church building. The excellent Whirling Skirmish were back as our band for the evening. They kept everyone entertained and their wonderful caller tried to keep everyone in line, which became more of a challenge as the evening progressed! And in the interval, it was time for our wonderful raffle with over 30 fabulous prizes including hampers, gin, champagne, vouchers, chocolates and much more. Andrew Barr, Chairman of The Friends of St Mary’s, closed the evening and the dancers made their way home. You can see more photos and video from the night on our website and Facebook posts.
A huge thank you to all who supported and attended the event and made it such a great night. Thank you to the individuals and businesses who donated prizes for our raffle, including The Co-op Lenham, Phase Hair and Beauty, The Wishful Thinker, Lenham Farm Shop, The Fig Tree Spa, The Square Fish Cafe, The Bow Window, The Dog and Bear, Lenham Film Club, and Chilston Park Hotel. A particular thanks to The Lenham Focus for their very generous donation, helping us cover some of our costs and to Kent Loves… for support and for selling the tickets.
The barn dance is a key element of our annual fundraising as we work to maintain and preserve our Grade I listed church building. The proceeds from the dance will go towards the specialist repairs that we are carrying out now to the stonework on the roof of the church and the repair of loose flints to the east end wall. We could not continue to carry out these necessary works without the support of so many people and local businesses.
The Friends of St Mary's Church Lenham 