Tao of Tash - Carolyn's Fundrasing Event

16th April 2007 - For a good cause

Now it seems that I may have rambled on a tad about what we have been up to recently. Tash and I have just had this conversation over a bottle of wine in the park, heated as usual, but I suppose it gave the two gentlemen recumbent on a rug within earshot something interesting to end their day with.

Part 6 is to be found up on the right hand menu. Go and look to find out how Tash helped to forward the cause of female emancipation in Thailand, made many local friends and whether we returned to Blighty with our luggage intact?

Tash is understandably a little protective over her condition, you would only have to witness the monthly "conversations" that we have over what subjects, phrasing and terminology can be allowed into a Tao entry to understand how much of a fine compromise these postings are.

So you'd have to do something pretty spectacular to get our attention then.

Carolyn announced several months ago that she had an idea to run the Flora London Marathon and more importantly raise some money for a good cause, our chosen charity Cancerbackup.

A great many of you have kindly visited her Just Giving website and donated money. I'd like to think, that like us, you did it with the thought that you'd rather Carolyn run the marathon than yourself.

Carolyn had floated the idea of an additional fundraiser event last month, her background is in the record industry and in a very parental manner Tash and I said "OK, that's a good idea" whilst thinking, "what is she on about?"

She was on about an afternoon of music, socialising and charitable donating.

I am pleased to report that as a venue Filthy McNasty's contains elements of neither, it is a more music orientated version of a traditional London boozer, fortunately for our event, still with it's original dividing wall between the public and lounge bars. We were in the Lounge bar for the afternoon from 2pm until 8 (well late, actually)

Carolyn's ideas for the day revolved around shaving her head, (I know a marathon and a head shaving, she is keen) and a raffle. The day started with her total at £1340 and we quickly drew out a traditional fundraising totaliser running up to the magic £3000, in the shape of an electric clipper, trying to keep up the theme. The idea of this was that for each £200 increment towards 3k Carolyn would have her head shaved using a smaller comb guard (hair clippers use detachable plastic guards to give you varying depths of cut, for baldies like me it is a zero by the way).

The afternoon was spent socialising listening to the fine music that Wendy, Simon, Aroura and Eddie supplied, thank you for your good work. Raffle tickets were also provided for a donation in the Cancerbakup tin.

The two raffle items that were getting the most interest, a picture of Carl Barát (mostly from the wife) and a small wind up "adults" toy (I am not going to describe it in detail except it was a man and woman, his hips move, we will say not more shall we) which were left for an auction at the end.

We had already received "a couple of hundred quid" in donations before the raffle and the people that received the prizes seemed pleased, mostly Mr Alan, who had brought 40 tickets and stood at the back of the crowd with them fanned out in his hand like a card player, I hope that he enjoys the body shop moisturising bath set he has won.

In a very socially spirited gesture, on winning the pub donated bottle of tequila, the aforementioned Mr Alan by now well on his winning streak, popped the cork and all of us in the pub had a swig, Carolyn staring down the barrel of her imminent haircut, had a couple.

The auction succeeded in getting the donations really going, I thought for a moment that we weren't going to get more than a fiver for the crude wind up toy, when a small mousey voice from a girl at the front of the crowd squeaked "£10", than another shout of "£12", "£13","£14" ending with £15.

Tash had already made her feelings about the Carl Barát photograph known, "how can we rig the raffle" being the subtle way she shared this with me. Thinking on her side I started the bidding for the photograph at £50, receiving the first and as it turned out only bid from Tash (the rest of the interested parties had migrated to the public bar by this time), also knowing that Tash wanted to make a substantial contribution to Carolyn I bid back raising the ante to £60, an odd thing for the auctioneer to do, I agree, but I was trying to be helpful here, expecting Tash to bid again, so we could then donate our money in an easy and covert manner. Obviously not, as Tash stood still staring at me, before blurting out that she just wanted the photograph and was going to give the money anyway, so much for subtlety and I learned a vital lesson on young girl's crushes on pop stars.

Despite some earlier reservations Tash had no problems firing up the clippers and removing a good portion of Carolyn's hair, I suspect the raffle tequila helped both of them here and in a welcome advance, Jane, Mr Alan's sister in law jumped forward and offered some more money if she could step in and replace Tash on the clippers, then Karen, Mr Alan's wife stepped forward clutching a tenner, then Patsy, the shy female bidder from earlier, the scene quickly turned in to strange tablo of Carolyn, half a head shaved, clutching a fist full of cash.

About an hour later, after we had all drunk a lot more, someone offered Carolyn a hundred pounds to shave off one of her side burns (she by this time had a modette haricut, aparently called a Chelsea girl, though not as extreme), we all dug in and matched the bid to even her up on the other side.

At the end of a very pleasurable day Natasha and I bid Carolyn farewell as she partied on into the night and went home, as we had been designated "responsible people" and were carrying the days donations.

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Thank you all for coming down and supporting Carolyn, your kindness and willingness to give, have put an extra £890 on to her total.

Current Total - £2230

We will leave you with the rest of the photographs