| Success for Northern Members at Sandbach Original Show. |
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| Written by Richard Garforth |
 A contingent, of Northern Dwarf members braved the seasonal weather and travelled the great distance to the Sandbach Original show in Warmingham. A warm welcome was made, and the hall was packed out with enthusiasts from the length and breadth of the country. The Lancashire and Cheshire Dwarf Circle were there, with the Midland dwarf club. As usual the organizers of the event had been really busy and organized a really great day. Everything ran like clockwork, the Car parking attendants at the gate directed the traffic, the girls in the canteen made tea by the gallon, the secretaries sorted out the mountain of paperwork and took the monies. The Bacon Butties (Sandwiches for our American cousins) were fantastic, how much Bacon you get through at an event like this is anyone’s’ guess! The hall was full of laughter, good banter, old friends met up having not seen each other for a years and picked up conversations as if they had only seen each other yesterday. As time marched on, lunch was served, Salads, pies sandwiches, apple pie and custard (For our overseas readers, custard is wonderful, you’ll like it). The main event came and a hushed silence descended on the hall. The winners were announced. Out of an entry of over 800 we had 2 significant winners, Kevin Farnsworth came in 5th overall, and Deb Hodson 10th. I met up after the event to congratulate the winners. I spoke to Kevin, who was obviously overjoyed by his sudden and un-expected win, as his winning number was announced - silence descended on the hall. you could hear the murmurs from the back of the hall, "Well it must be after me, 'cause I have 200 ",. Then a Shriek an almost inhuman cry", "Its mine" A crowd gathered all clambering for a look at the winning ticket, he was held aloft by his team mates, punching the air in victory, whooping with delight, tears of joy streamed down his face as years of bitter disappointment suddenly came to the surface. Hours later after the celebrations, had subsided I had a chance to meet with our winners. I congratulated Kevin on his first win for many years and asked him how this momentous occasion came to be. "I entered 15 in all" he said, " I had 5 in the Bright Pink Class, or is it Fuchsia? Then 5 in the Orange, and another 5 in the Puce". "As the first winner was announced, you could feel the tension in the room, the hushed quiet, the dirty looks given to those who continued to speak when the compare had started to speak" " and then , before I knew it the 5th winner, 207 on the pink was announced", pausing to compose himself before continuing his story. " I thought it rang a bell , I looked through my numbers, but my palms were sweating, I couldn't flick though my entry fast enough my fingers felt like thumbs, my stomach churned, then - there it was, the last number. It shone like a Golden ticket in a Wonka bar." "After that it was a blur, I found myself at the prize table, I had been carried over the heads of the crowd toward the stage, and had to select my prize , The Whiskey had gone, and the Car Polishing kit, but then I saw it was still there. Hidden behind the '200 Greatest TV moments Trivia book' I could see the roundness of it, the glint of silver and blue it was the tin of Cadburys Roses" I left Kevin Clutching his prize, no one could persuade him to open it. "Its for Christmas he said".  Our other great winner was Deb Hodson. 10th out of an entry of over 800 is not bad. Deb Clutched her Doll, the final prize on the table, the previous winner could not decide between that and the "Original English Lavender Soap set", but Deb was delighted with her win. "I've been coming here for over 10 years, and haven't won anything" she said, " but it just goes to show that dedication, patience and buying loads of tickets , and anyone can win.” After the draw, people started to say their goodbyes, promising to meet again here next year. Mad boasts about how well they will do. We all left about half past four in the afternoon. The club also held a rabbit show to raise funds for next year’s event. Till next year……. |