A nine-course banquet for the great and the good was thrown by the Fieldens on the day the Town Hall opened. In keeping with history, we organised a banquet 150 years to the day, but redefining the ‘great and the good’ to be the volunteers who keep the town running and the ordinary people of Todmorden. We invited two people from every community and voluntary organisation in the town, and it was a huge job just to compile a list (we found 68 groups!) There were a few specially invited guests such as the Mayors, Chief Exec of Calderdale Council and Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Yorkshire. The final few tickets were distributed by postcode lottery in order to expand participation beyond the usual faces and have a genuine representative selection of residents.

 Our mostly voluntary catering team from Two Trees catering and Three Valley Vegans arranged the menu, and created a temporary kitchen in a corner of the ballroom.  They managed an incredible feat of serving a four course meal plus coffee to 150 people without any major hiccups. 

 Scouts and Guides volunteered to be the waiters and waitresses, and musicians from Todmorden High School provided musical entertainment/accompaniment.  We also had two professional musicians to continue with the background music and the entertainment was beautifully rounded off with a performance by Vocal Highs community choir.

The tables were dressed by two volunteers from Incredible Edible and looked amazing. Entrance was unusually, in the round end with the grand staircase, and the photographer took a photo of everyone on the ‘red carpet’ as they arrived.   We were also lucky to secure the participation of the bellringers of St Mary’s, the church just across the road from the Town Hall, who rang the bells as guests arrived to mark the actual anniversary of the opening.

It was a really lovely evening and it was obvious how much thought, planning and hard work had gone into making it happen. It did the Anniversary and the town, proud - and I was proud to have been there.