Made for Life: Having a ball

This is us at the Made for Life ball last Friday night. I was scurrying around town at the last minute at 3 o'clock on Friday afternoon, having just read the dress code on the tickets: Gah! It was a black tie affair! Dan wouldn't get away with a "nutty professor" bow tie, which had been the original plan, seeing as he is a nutty professor. But the Girl Guide Association came to the rescue. It turned out that Daisy's Brownie leader works at Moss Bros, and so Brown Owl went and found me a suit and all the trimmings. The trimmings were a minor problem prior to leaving for the ball, as Dan couldn't figure out how to do up the cummerbund or the bow tie. We ended up fixing the cummerbund, but doing some jiggery pokery with the bow tie and almost strangling the old man in the process.

It was worth it. Look! Chandeliers and everything!

Amanda Barlow's Made for Life foundation was the reason for the flurry. For the last few years, Amanda (of Budock Vean and Spezia Organics) has been running 'Made for Life' events, at which local women who've been diagnosed with breast cancer can be pampered and have a bit of respite from the world. She announced at the ball that after many, many months (and lots of paperwork), Made for Life is now a registered charity. They are looking to build a dedicated centre in Cornwall — similar to the concept behind Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres, which offer an array of services and stress-relieving therapies under one (in Maggie's case, spectacular) roof. The Made for Life centre will give people with cancer a nurturing environment and an array of activities and resources: What a brilliant idea. Even better: involving their family and friends in the experience as well. And I hope, now that it's an official charity, the Made for Life peeps will consider an annual Made for Life ball to celebrate. It was lovely.