Page 28 - Phonebox Magazine December 2009

Olney Fireworks Night 2009
Hi folks, just a few words and thoughts about Firework Night this year. The board members of TOG decided to combine Fireworks and Halloween, so as not to miss the boat after last years financially punishing show. With the 5th being during the week, we reasoned that most people would have had enough of fireworks by the weekend. This having the potential to substantively undermine footfall, were we to hold it on the 7th.
A bonus from combining the two events was that it reduced the petty crime related to Halloween (egg throwing etc) around the Town, as I was later informed by the local Police Officers.
The Halloween Fancy Dress Competition went very well thanks to an excellent team effort, by our sound Maestro’s Neill Elliott and Peter Lawson, voice of the event Roger Mann, and Stephen Oakley, the nights main Sponsor, ably supported by Elaine Baron - well done all!
The feedback from the night has been very
good. People liking the (slight) change of
venue for the display, as it meant that they
had the attractions in the same field as the
whatsoever to public safety. Well done to Mark Luckin for working that one out!
The quality of the display was as we have come to expect from Dynamic Fireworks, - excellent. The finale of the ‘Hanging Lace’ being particularly favourably commented on.
Some people still believe that the fireworks are run by Olney Town Council, so they ask why should they have to pay to watch? The event is organised by The Olney Group (T.O.G.). This is a group of like minded volunteers who know that in Olney we have a very special community, and who want to contribute to the ‘Community Spirit’ in the Town. Olney Town Council recognises this, and provides help and support to enable T.O.G. to achieve this aim, including underwriting the event . This facility has only been called upon once in it’s fifteen year history! The event sets out to be entirely self funding by the sale of tickets, which have to raise a substantial amount in order to pay for the professional display.
Various local groups, (especially it must be said, the Bowls Club, and Olney St John), join in to make this annual event the success it is. The event would also not happen if we did not have the voluntary ‘manpower’ on the gates, and security during the evening, (much aided by the excellent radio sets provided by Mark Bowyer). To all those who performed this sometimes daunting task, some at very short notice, we all at T.O.G. thank you.
We are proposing to run it again next year, however we (T.O.G.) must review our working relationships with the various sports clubs that have facilities on and near the site. To this end, T.O.G. will be attending the next Joint User Group meeting to share a better understanding of our aims for the night next year amongst the clubs.
Dave Price
On behalf of the T.O.G. Board
T.O.G - Supporting Unity in Our Community!
WATOTO LUNCHES
A very big thank you to everyone who supported the Watoto Child Care Ministries by coming to our lunches held at the Sutcliff Baptist Church during October. We served 29 lunches on the first Wednesday and on the fourth we had the grand total of 61customers! Thank you also for the very generous donations which we have also received and all the good wishes for our visit to Uganda. We have been able to purchase a wide variety of articles from the Watoto Wish List for their Nursery Unit, the children’s homes and schools in the two Watoto villages.
By the time you read this we will have returned from Kampala and we look forward to giving you a report on our visit in due course.
Tom and Chris James and John and Doreen Martin
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28 Phonebox Magazine