Dungeness, next stop Boulogne, in aid of Elsie-Rose...

Elsie-Rose

This morning, about 05.15, Mark and Jason posing inside the Dolphin Inn, Rock-a-Nore Road, before leaving to undertake their Kayak Marathon in aid of the Elsie-Rose & Friends Foundation: see previous blog for more information.

We drove to Dungeness to meet them before they cross the Channel, Mark and Jason had come from Rye Harbour in the Support Boat (crew: Will and Keith); about 06.45.

Coming to their adoring public

Waving to their adoring public 

Off they go! 

Next Stop Boulogne; departed 06.55

By now they should be in the middle of the Channel, good luck to them!

Fund-raising/collecting pledges for this venture will carry on for the next couple of weeks, if you would like to contribute, go to Crowdfunding, or visit the Dolphin Inn and drop spare cash into the collection box please, many thanks!

The adoring public included Maureen, Louise, David, Maz, a fisherman we were standing by on the beach, and me 😉

Wonderful People of Hastings!

It was a month ago that I wrote about the Dolphin barmaid, Debs, and others, having their hair shorn to help raise money for a local 7 year-old girl who has been treated for cancer, when they went from this (above) to this (below):   

(Many) more photographs can be seen at my previous blog, however, all the money has now been collected, and passed over to the lass and her family, with even more money being donated since, particularly on quiz nights at the Dolphin, and from RNLI volunteers, who regularly visit the pub. The total donated was more than £2,300, £1,634.23 of which was collected at the Dolphin for Debs and Richard, before/on/since the day of the collective shearing. 

The lass herself will be taken on holiday soon, when she is feeling better from her treatment, and she has asked that the remainder of the donations be passed on to charity (website) to help educate people about children with cancer... 

I'm proud of the people of Hastings, indeed!     

4 Shaven Heads, and a Hilter Moustache, for Charity!

John, Mick, Debby and Richard... before... 

Because Debby also donated her hair to charity for making a wig, she had to prepare for this a wee bit, so off upstairs now, looking relaxed...

Back downstairs, and her hair prepared in elastic bands.

First off, Mark (the landlord) showing precision skills with the shaver...

John looking pretty cool! 

Next up...

Mick looking a wee bit shocked, but it's done! 

Next, Richard, and having a laugh too, great joy!

He's done too...

Then to Debs, not quite so relaxed now; and Mark carefully cuts off the locks for Lou to place in a special plastic bag provided for the purpose  by the Charity. 

Mark decides to have a bit of fun...

And even more fun, the last of the Mohicans!

But no! He's carried on shaving her head.

Mark and Maureen provided the flowers; great support for all participants from a friendly crowd, we're proud of you Debs! 

Barman, Jason, felt out of the loop, having little hair anyway, but asked for his eyebrows to be shaved off...

Silly boy Pike! Mark decides to attack his beard too, fellow barman, Neil, draws false eyebrows, and Mark leaves him with a Hilter moustache (think Python). 

And the 5 afterwards, well done, and for a good local cause, nice one! 

A fair amount of money raised on the day, and a wee bit pledged to come in still, but I'll let you know when the final total is counted. Well done to these peeps, to the people of Hastings, and to a great community pub!