AUCTION OF PROMISES

Dear EBC member

Come to the Auction Dinner on Sat 22 April!

It is going to be a truly scrumptious and interesting two-course dinner (further information below). It will be a great opportunity to meet your fellow choir members and their families – brilliant for new members to make friends, and for everyone to get to know members from other voice parts. It will have the added fun of a Silent Auction.

What is a Silent Auction? Around the room there will be descriptions of items and services which have been donated for anyone to bid for. If you are interested in buying any of them (but there is NO obligation at all), you can bid by writing your name and your bid under the item. It is then quite fun popping up a couple of times during the meal to see if anyone has outbid you, in which case you can write up a higher offer if you wish to beat them.
And then after the meal is over, the auctioneer (David Ransom) will ask for any final bids (it can get quite exciting and silly at this point), and will then announce the successful winner of each item.

We will circulate a catalogue of the Lots in advance and if anyone wants to bid, but without coming to the meal, that is fine – just tell the organisers your instructions and we will place your bid on your behalf, up to whatever max you have set.

So you can buy without dining, or dine without buying, or dine and buy!

We have some great Lots offered already – see attached preliminary list – and hope there will be many more as the event gets nearer. We need to raise funds for the exciting events planned for our forthcoming Anniversary year, so please put your thinking caps on and find something to give, whether an item or a service.

Short of ideas? How about offering that hideous salad bowl someone gave you at Christmas? You may find that it is fiercely fought over by several bidders and will hugely add to the fun in the last moments of the auction! Or what about making some item yourself – a craft item or homemade jam? Even small things can go for generous amounts once people have had a couple of drinks – there will be a cash bar – and every extra quid helps us afford to put on the concerts we love!

Or could you offer to drive someone to a pub and retrieve them two hours later? That would be popular. Or offer two hours’ garden care if you are handy with a trowel. Good with kids? Offer an evening of babysitting. Knowledgeable about something interesting? Offer to give a lecture or lesson about it. Everyone has some thing or skill to offer – now is the time!

For the meal, we need to know approximate numbers for the catering and to book the right size of venue, so please let us know (within the next few days if possible),

1. A) The probability of your attending (between zero likelihood and 100 per cent likelihood) and
2. B) how many other people you might bring. (Treat your friends – it’s only £20 for a super meal and we promise it won’t be cliquey!)

 Delicious Auction Dinner £20  to be paid to Christine Hooker (cash or cheque) or paid by bank transfer to the choir account using your name followed by ‘Auction’. Once paid you will be given

a full menu and details of the means by which you can order your chosen options directly with the caterers – Coconut Monkey, who will also address any specific dietary requirements.

Ideally EBC would like payment before April 1st and Coconut Monkey would like food choices/special requirements no later than April 6th please.

Suggested menu

Choice of one each from 3 main courses and 2 desserts

Roasted chicken with sumac and Za’atar, bulgar wheat salad, cucumber and dill yoghurt, pide

or

Braised kale chickpea and tomato tagine, bulgar wheat salad, cucumber and dill yoghurt, pide

or

Mushroom risotto, rocket, truffle oil and garlic bread.

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Lemon and rosewater posset or Pot au Chocolat

There will be  an extra charge for wine and soft drinks provided by Mick Morley our in-house sommelier.

Do come along it’s sure to be an exciting evening that will contribute all important funds towards our 50th anniversary next  year.

Thanks

Christine, Aidan and Anna, your Auction Supper Organisers.