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Cumnor Festival 2025 - Another roaring success!
Cumnor Festival 2025 - Another roaring success!
Radio Days
Despite the extraordinarily blisteringly hot and sticky day, a great time was had by all on the 21st June at our 8th annual Cumnor Festival of Performing Arts, which was staged in the extensive and delightful gardens of Hurstcote in Appleton Road. An impressive number of local people braved the heat and turned out, smothered in suncream, for this ever-popular community event.
Once again, our fantastically generous and hospitable hosts, Catherine and Ted, flung wide open their gates and their hearts to welcome our fabulous line up of performers and visitors.
Our entertainers provided a wealth of first-class music, through jazz, folk, classical, country and western, a cappella and pop genres, from the 1930s right up to the present day. Then there was the very talented ventriloquist/puppeteer who kept us, young and more mature, engrossed by the antics of his 'little friends'.
To round off our day, whilst we sipped Prosecco, we were delighted to enjoy nearly 2 hours of entertainment from the Glenn-Miller-type big swing band, 'Radio Days', which consisted of20 musicians and their lovely singer, who got us up and dancing, or at the very least our feet tapping, to our favourite jazz and swing numbers.
My heartfelt thanks go to everyone who helped prepare for the day -putting up/down tents, gazebos, bunting, posters, banners, making refreshments, etc... Also on the day, to the bevy of lovely ladies (and gentlemen) who served cream teas, homemade cakes, tasty savouries and other scrumptious delights. To the ladies in the wine/beer tent from Cumnor Hill House Care Home Team who so very generously staffed and supplied drinks. Thanks go to Oxenford House Care Home staff who provided us with lovely cakes. Also to the charming raffie prize carers and ticket sellers.
Tony Payne & Jean
Poppy on Trombone, Radio Days
Special thanks are also due to Chawley Grove Care Home and staff for their extraordinary generosity in supplying and serving the extensive and delicious BBQ-also for covering the considerable hire charge of our super large event stretch tent without the shelter of which we could not hold the festival.
Our Chawley Grove supporters
My thanks for our amazing raffle prizes which were so generously donated by:
Philip Pullman CBE - Author
Sarah Bond - Artist
Paul Ainly - Garden Machinery Repairs
The Bear and Ragged Staff
The Vine Pub
Chawley Grove Care Home
Catherine Mott -Woman Extraordinaire
Bob Cutting
My sincere apologies to the lovely people who donated raffie prizes, but whose names I do not know. Thank you too.
And last, but by no means least, special thanks to the super skilful photographers Diane and Steven Braggs and Martin Harris, who produced lots of great photos -some of which you see here.
Apart from the festival's role as a lovely family day full of fun, friendship, good food and entertainment, it is important that we are also philanthropic. I am delighted to report that we raised a really useful amount of money for cancer support organisations. This money will be very effectively used to support local people (increasingly often young people with families) who have been visited by cancer, and to help them to regain confidence and live their lives as fully as possible. The festival was held again this year to raise funds for our Cumnor based breast cancer support group -Positively Pink Oxford; Maggie's Cancer Centre Oxford (whose staff recommend our group to patients); also to the Oncology (Cancer) Unit at Nuffield Health, and The Manor Hospital Oxford. It is largely unknown that Nuffield Health is a registered, non-profit making charity which offers chemotherapy and other cancer treatments to local people. (see photo of Jean giving this year's donation on page 22 of Cumnor Parish News).
This day could not have happened without any of you. What a fabulous community we have!
If you know any talented performers who would like to be considered for next year's festival, or other event at another time, please contact Jean -positivelypinkoxford@gmail.com or call 07927 236961 - I would love to hear from you.
www.cumnorfestival.org.uk
Marak James & Stages
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