Historian Alison Weir joins Beccles mayor for first fundraiser
Alison Weir with Beccles mayor Richard Stubbings. Picture: David Crothers. - Credit: Archant
Beccles mayor Richard Stubbings has hosted his first fundraising event when he welcomed historian Alison Weir to town.
The event, held at Hungate Hall on Saturday, was well attended by readers of Mrs Weir’s books, as well as local dignitaries and guests of the mayor.
Mrs Weir was welcomed to Beccles and enjoyed a private reception before the event where she chatted to invited guests including Southwold mayor Matthew Horwood, members of Beccles Town Council and members of the community who volunteer in the town.
She met Fay Baldry, manager of The Waveney Centre, to whom Mrs Weir gifted two signed copies of her books as raffle prizes for the centre.
The event was such a success that Mrs Weir has agreed to return next May with the third novel in her ‘Six Tudor Queens’ series, ‘Jane Seymour, The Haunted Queen’.
Proceeds from the event will go towards The Waveney Centre and the Beccles skate park project, which Mr Stubbings has chosen to support during his year through the Mayor’s Appeal.
Mr Stubbings said: “I am thrilled that it was so positively received and that Alison, who is a huge fan of the town, has agreed to return next May.
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“It will be quite fitting when she does as this will be my last event when my term as mayor comes to an end in 2018.”
Mr Stubbings went on to praise the hard work put in on the night by the volunteers.
“It was great to see the boys who use the skate park turn up to help and the manager of the Waveney Centre come along to meet Alison and chat beforehand,” he said. “This is exactly what I had in mind when I chose my charities, fusing both the young and older communities and have events that see them working together. Hungate Hall was an amazing venue to use.”
The next mayor’s event will be a themed afternoon tea with Terry Molloy and Mike Tucker from the popular radio series The Archers. Dates and times will be announced soon.
•Have you got a Beccles story? Email amy.smith@archant.co.uk
