Winter 2013 - Parishes Online

Winter2013 Les Nouvelles 5
Parishnews
from the Connétable
St Martin’s Bonfire
The annual Bonfire, held on and alongside the Village Green, is organised by
a sub-group of the St Martin’s Gymkhana and Gorey Fete Committee.
Anyone who has ever arranged a large public event knows the amount of
planning required to ensure a successful and safe event and Event Plans are
now examined carefully by the Bailiff’s Panel before organisers are allowed to
go ahead.
As with many large events held during 2012, the weather that affected
the attendance at Gorey Fête also affected attendance at the Bonfire, but, as
Claire Jehan’s wonderful photographs show, it was, once again, a magical
evening of spectacle and colour. The car park alongside the Village Green
was filled with a whole range of concessions selling refreshments to suit all
tastes whilst others enjoyed the musical entertainment, watched the unusual
lighting of the bonfire
and viewed the Guy
Fawkes’ competition.
The obvious highlight
of the evening was the
spectacular firework
display that lit up the St
Martin sky. The display
had been sponsored
once again by the
Jersey Mutual
Insurance Society for
which the Committee
are hugely grateful.
As a result of the event the Bonfire Committee were able to make a
donation of £5,500 to The Antoine Trust, a trust recently launched in memory
of seven-year-old Antoine Willing who died in April 2012 from brain cancer. A
presentation took place at the Public Hall at the end of November 2012
when the newly elected Chairman of the Committee, Mr Lester
Richardson, was able to present the cheque to Antoine’s parents, Anne
and Paul Willing.
Grateful thanks are expressed to everyone who helped at the event
in the various roles and to those who supported the event by attending
on the night. However, apologies are extended by the Committee to
all those affected by smoke in the days that followed as the very wet
bonfire smouldered away despite many thousands of gallons of water
sprayed on the embers by the Fire Service in an attempt to extinguish them!
Needless to say, the Committee are looking forward to a drier 2013!
Top:
Mrs Anne and
Mr Paul Willing,
together with
Roy Jeanne,
General
Manager Jersey
Mutual
Insurance
Society who
generously
sponsored the
event, and the
recently elected
Chairman of the
St Martin’s
Gymkhana and
Fete & Bonfire
Committee, Mr
Lester
Richardson
Above:
Committee
Members with
the family and
members of the
Antoine Trust
Bonfire
photographs by
Claire Jehan