Our First Anniversary!

What a brilliant time we had at our Birthday Bash!

The weather was certainly on theme. The sun shone throughout the day but kindly turned the temperature down a notch, which was a welcome relief.  It was fantastic to see so many people embracing the occasion, with Hawaiian shirts, tropical attire and plenty of pineapple-themed fun adding to the atmosphere. Thank you to everyone who entered into the spirit of things and helped make the day feel like a proper celebration. The village may be a long way from the Caribbean, but for a few hours on Saturday it certainly felt a little closer.

David, Kirk and Will kept everyone well fed with a fantastic BBQ, while Nic, Rose, Abby, Millie, Andy and Aiden kept the beer flowing and mixed up some fabulous pineapple cocktails.  Annabelle, Panic Steel Band and ‘Last Orders’ provided a fantastic soundtrack to the afternoon before James rounded off the evening with a great set that got people up and grooving on the dancefloor. Of course, as kick-off approached, it was obvious there was only going to be one winner in the battle for people’s attention. Fortunately, England did the business, giving everyone another reason to celebrate.

What made the day truly special, though, was the atmosphere. It was wonderful to see so many people, young and old, from Ickleton and beyond, coming together to celebrate, catch up with friends and enjoy everything that makes The Lion such a special place. It was a real reminder of what this project has always been about: bringing people together.

A huge thank you goes to our team for all their hard work throughout the day, and to the volunteers who were out bright and early helping to put up marquees, bunting and decorations before the festivities began.

A special mention must also go to Spencer from SJ Cooling, who came to our rescue after the cellar air conditioning decided to give up the night before the party. The prospect of celebrating our first birthday with warm beer was not one we had been looking forward to, but disaster was thankfully averted.