Events at Strathallan Castle

Dear all,

Lily and I are so glad you are coming to our Cocktails and Blues night to help support us in our Channel Challenge and to help us raise money for the Charity Aspire.

We still have a few tickets left so if you know of anyone who wants to come, please let them know to contact us asap.

This email is to give you a bit of information about the night, and to let you know about the amazing auction and raffle prizes we have, so that you can save up, and remember to bring your wallet and cheque book!

The venue, Strathallan Castle, has been kindly donated by Anna Roberts. For directions, click on the image. The postcode is PH3 1JZ.

The party starts at 7.30pm, with free 'sea-themed' cocktails until 9.30pm!

There will also be a pay bar selling wine, beer, cider and soft drinks.

Gourlay, the butcher from Crieff, will be providing us with a hog roast, quiches and salads.

We have music from the fantastic Blue Dubh, interspersed with some good boogying disco music!

Because of the nature of the flooring in the castle, no stilettos please.

The party finishes at 12.30am.

Every 8 hours someone is paralysed by a spinal cord injury

As mother and daughter, Lily and I, as part of a relay team, are going to jump into the English Channel at Dover on August 20th, and swim over to France for a glass of Chablis!

We are also doing this mad stunt to raise money for Aspire

Spinal cord injury can happen to ANYONE at ANYTIME, following horse falls,car, climbing and other sporting accidents etc.

Through their projects and programmes, the team at Aspire do an amazing job of supporting the 40,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK - helping them lead fulfilled and independent lives in their homes, with their families, at work and in leisure.

Thank you for helping us to help Aspire to help others.

Our Auction Items

We have 4 (so far) fantastic items to auction.

100% of the money raised from the auction and raffle will go directly to the charity, so it is a great opportunity to help raise money to help people with spinal cord injury, and also to win an amazing prize.

A week's accommodation in Spain

A week at a luxury apartment (Casa de Paz) in Frigiliana, Costa del Sol, Spain with private pool and spectacular uninterrupted sea and mountain views. It is in a peaceful location in the award winning village of Frigiliana, only 10 mins by car from the beaches in Nerja.

The apartment sleeps 7 (3 Bedrooms + Bunk Room). The nearest airport is Malaga (45 minutes by car).

A week's (off peak) accommodation at Fishermen's Hall, North Berwick

Wonderfully situated next to the harbour in North Berwick, Fishermen's Hall is a fabulous fully-equipped holiday home sleeping 6 + 2. Click here to view location.

In 1998, the Hall was sympathetically renovated from the original Fishermen's meeting hall, and has some unique and quirky features such as a double bed hanging from the ceiling!

Fishermen's Hall has been featured in Scotland on Sunday's Spectrum Magazine, 25 Beautiful Homes Magazine and Homes Plus Scotland Magazine.

Original Oil Painting by Rosemary Bassett

Rosemary Bassett is a Perthshire artist who has exhibitions throughout the UK and America. She paints primarily with oil and beeswax and her paintings have a wonderfully interesting and tactile surface.

This stunning original painting is called 'Red Mountain, Perthshire', and looks like many of the local hills around the Strathearn area.

Rosemary also exhibits at the Ruthven Gallery in Auchterarder.

A Day's Brown Trout Fishing in a Private Loch

A day's fishing for two, on a local privately-owned well stocked Brown Trout loch. There will be an exceptionally knowledgeable fishing consultant available on the day to give advice and guidance.

The day includes either lunch on the pier cooked by a professional chef, or a picnic hamper.

Raffle Prizes

We also have some wonderful raffle prizes:

• 3 course lunch for two at the newly refurbished Dormy Golf Clubhouse Bar and Grill at Gleneagles
• An hour session with personal trainer, Dr. Helen Berry
• A luxury Pedicure at Deja
• Set of Ceramic Hair Straighteners from Charlie Taylor Hair and Beauty
• 7-disc Blu-ray box set of Harry Potter
• An Ann Summers Package!
• Beauty voucher for Beauty Within Salon
• A fabulous goody bag from Apinya
• Jamie Oliver goodies
• A voucher for Sarah Mackintosh's Capt'n Tortue clothes range

and many many more!

Many thanks again for your support.

Thank you all

...so much...

for helping to make our Cocktail and Blues charity night such a success.

We raised £3700 which is a fabulous amount and it's all thanks to the kindness and generosity of you all.

It will help make such a difference to many people's lives.

Thank you also to all those who worked so hard to help us before, during and after our party. Without you, we couldn't have done it.

Now it's time for Lily and I to continue to work hard at socialising with jellyfish, and getting across to Calais in one piece on the 20th of August!

To see hundreds of unedited photos from the night taken by Roxi, click here. Enjoy!

Many many thanks again from Kerry and Lily, and Aspire.