Alan's Story

My name is Alan Newbury, of Coronation Road, Melksham. My sister Carol Haynes died in December 2005 after a long illness from cancer. She was only 58 years old.
The last eight weeks of her life she spent in Dorothy House at Winsley – she had been there a few times previously. She was content and at peace there – the staff were just brilliant.

I promised Carol before she died that I would try and raise some money for Dorothy House.
Carol died quite peacefully on 13 December 2005.
I and my wife Sandra were staying with family in Liverpool over Christmas and I was trying to think of what I could do to raise some money. Then it just came to me: Carol and I were both teenagers in the sixties. Perfect! A sixties memorial dance.

Well, the planning started – not that I had a clue how or where to start. I opened a bank account – the Carol Haynes Memorial Fund – with the help of the manager of the NatWest Bank in Melksham. Then I sat down with Carol’s husband Mick, her son Leon and daughter Beth to talk over what I had planned. They were all delighted, so it was full steam ahead.

I approached some business friends of mine for help, mainly with money so I had a theme for raffle prizes. They were all brilliant, so I then sat down at the computer and with one finger at a time started writing letters – 600 of them, as well as about 170 emails – to companies asking for help with raffle prizes and auction items.
My brother-in-law John Davies did a fantastic poster to advertise the dance and I approached Cooper Avon, who own Melksham House, to see if we could have the hall. The only night they had was 15 July so I took it, only to find out later that it was Carnival Day and Party in the Park as well.

I had 245 tickets to sell at £5 each, and they sold so fast I didn’t even have to put up any posters. I ordered raffle tickets, which were paid for by a sponsor – Greenlands Patio Centre in Melksham – organised an army of helpers to sell them and we were on our way.

Seven months flew by and on the night it was magic – 68 raffle prizes, seven auction items, a lucky prize draw for the entrance tickets, a £5-a-go draw for an England shirt signed by Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney, live music from Route 66, which my brother-in-law Mick played in … the night was swinging and everybody had a brilliant time – magic!