Michael's Benefit Ball
April 12 2008 - Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth
There are many things in life I'll never do - climb Everest, fly solo around the world, walk on the moon. Until April this year, I'd have put attending a benefit function for a cricketer right up in that top10 because, despite working for a Warwickshire fanatic who makes every Monday morning special by updating me on events at Edgbaston (clearly hallucinating that I care) my knowledge of the game has always been pretty much limited to knowing that the "Beefy and Lamby" in the meat adverts are based on a couple of blokes who used to be good at knocking a hard ball about with a piece of wood.
All this changed earlier this year when I became involved in creating the website for Michael Powell's benefit. Now, you don’t have to know the game at all to very quickly appreciate, through reading the tributes to Michael, that he is held in great affection by all at the club as well as those outside – when we were getting permission from “All Out Cricket”, the magazine co-owned and co-produced by the Professional Cricketers’ Association, to reprint an article, their unsolicited comments about Michael were a fantastic tribute to everything he’s done. The more we worked on the site, the more intrigued I became, so when my employer invited me to attend the Benefit Ball I was absolutely delighted.
The location and the hotel were perfect and, after a drinks reception, proceedings began with the compere, Gladstone Small, inviting Michael to speak to the assembled throng of over 250 people. Fortified only by a bottle of water (at this stage, anyway), Mike paid tribute to the people who have helped him, in his career and with his benefit, with a very special mention for Bob Woolmer, his parents and his fiancé, Michelle, to whom he'd got engaged the Saturday before. It was good speech and an impressively nerveless performance though, as it turned out, the lighting in the room - which meant he couldn’t see the crowd he was talking to at all – had helped calmed his nerves a bit.
This was followed by a brief presentation by Professor Charlie Craddock on behalf of Cure Leukemia, the charity Mike is supporting during the year, which included a video featuring a poignant, but heartwarming, interview with a man, Jonjo, who had been diagnosed with the illness including the memorable line "and Villa lost that afternoon as well - so it was a bad day all round"'.
After the speeches, dinner was served and we all tucked in after a game of "Heads and Tails' which was won by Neil Carter, to huge cat calls from all his team mates, who generously redonated his prize. Next up was the auction of a host of interesting items ranging from air tickets to Dubai, to hospitality at an ODI, to a coaching session with Allan Donald and Michael himself - where Mike would teach you his "full array of shot", according to the auctioneer, the one and only Charlie Dagnall. Bidding for all items was fierce as Charlie pleaded, persuaded and pushed everyone on, although the last item, a green rockers jacket worn by Showaddywaddy (more later) and autographed by the whole Warwickshire team generated less enthusiasm with “Who one earth is going to want that?” from the table next to ours being one of the more favourable comments.
Much to the surprise of everyone on our table, not least his wife, my employer was the one person on earth who wanted it – and he wanted it badly enough to come in with a late winning bid. After initially moaning that it “didn’t quite fit” (was he really intending to wear it to work?) he wouldn’t budge from his view that it was a good buy that he could “easily sell on e-bay if he wanted to” - possibly having greater faith that there is a big market out there of rabid Showaddywaddy fans who also collect cricketers autographs than is entirely justified.
Next up was the main event, Leicester’s finest themselves - Showaddywaddy – who specialise in covering rock and roll songs from the 1950s and who, I was reliably informed by the lady sitting next to me, had been in the “Top 30” sixteen times and had made number one with “Under the Moon of Love”. It turned out she wasn’t a big fan of the group at all but had been inundated with information about them ever since a friend of hers, knowing she was going to the ball, had sent her details to Showadyywaddys’ website saying she was keen to join the band. She wasn’t best pleased about this by the sound of it.
Their set featured all the hits, with some help from Nick Owen on guitar – all joined on stage by Michael, Darren Maddy, Ian Westwood and, above all, Ian Salisbury. Ian was so good that it was an hour before I realised that he was called a leg spinner because of the way he bowls, rather than because of his dancing.
Last up was the dancing, plus a little bit more drinking. The DJ was truly exceptional and got the whole room bumping and grinding - by about 1.30 pm, he’d even persuaded all the committed non dancers onto the floor who avidly seized the opportunity to prove their commitment to non dancing was a good decision.
In some ways, this last part – it went on till 2.30 pm – was the best bit of the night. It was great to see everyone out there giving it all they had, lovely to see Michael’s Dad, Terry, looking proudly at a room full of people attending to support his son, and saying quietly "I just can't take it all in" and really nice to see Michael, his family and his friends so obviously having a really special time.
In summary it was a truly memorable evening. I’d never have believed I’d enjoy it so much. I’m not saying this will ever make me go to a match but now I do understand a bit about what makes Warwickshire special, I do appreciate why Michael deserves a great year and would heartily recommend that anyone thinking of attending a benefit event should go.
But try not to buy a green jacket when you are there.
Melanie Silverman – Giraffe Advertising
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| Charlie Dagnall and Simon Millington | Professor Craddock and Gladstone |
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| Ant Botha and partner | Belly and Nick Owen |
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| Darren and some friends | Gladstone speaks |
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| AD and Ian Salisbury (who's spotted Showaddywaddy are coming) | Ashley, Darren (and the green jacket) |
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| Leicester's finest at work | Nick Owen lends a hand |
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| The dancing begins | Bears on stage |
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| The Fab Four | Gladstone and friends |
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| The green jacket strikes | The green jacket strikes again |
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| Michael and Jane | Michael and friends enjoying more 'water' |
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