Westward Ho! Ho! Ho! 2018

22nd December 2018 was our third Westward Ho! Ho! Ho! event. We got a lucky break in the weather after 50mph winds and rain for the light switch on. It could run outside, although there was a bit of a nip to the wind!
We started at 2pm with Lettie and the Bean. This dynamic duo get better and better as they gel, magnificent set from them with a nice mix of Christmas numbers and covers. There was a magical buzz in the village, what a way to start, what performers.

Another massive thank you to Alan Smith for allowing the use of the Beach Bar for community use. The craft fair set up upstairs and looked amazing. The kids area was in the Conservatory area, it was a lot warmer than outside! The kids had lantern making and the most amazing story time with Francesca and the Gruffalow (Kate). They helped make memories for the younger festive revallers with Christmas congas and lantern parades. We will build on these for next year.

Second up on the main stage was Kurt, half of the Manic Jammerz. As a village, we found these on the stage when they auditioned for Westward Ho!'s Got Talent. Kurt has a real musical talent, you could see he was missing Nathan (the other half as he was away) but bust out some amazing songs and wooed the building crowd. These will always have a place in Westward Ho!

Kate from "magical guests character and mascot hire north devon" who lives in the village was an instrumental part of the entertainments team. Not only was she the Gruffalow, but also a very happy, crazy Jovie the elf. The sheer spirit in her is mesmerizing and inspiring. It was reasonably quiet in the village at Christmas Conga time, she almost managed to get EVERYONE joined in...Love this Westward Ho! spirit, well done Kate.

We are so lucky as a village, Westward Ho! gives people so much in there life's that they want to give back. Yazzy lived here for 15 years and was very happy to be asked to come and play for Ho! Ho! Ho! She said that Westward Ho! inspired a lot of her songs, just beautiful. Yazzy played at Glastonbury in front of 10,000 people, we didn't managed that many by a country mile but the audience got a very intimate gig. Yazzy is just amazing and took photos with the admiring fans afterwards. Very festive and a lot of memories made for all. Thank you Yazzy for being the  wonderful you.

Who saw Rudolf the Dancing Reindeer? OMG what an act! Again found when auditing for WH'sGT and since gone for the real deal, Britains Got Talent. He slipped off the Woolly costume, donned the Rudolf with the help of son, Christmas Bodie and they just made magic. Never before have I seen so many people chanting "One more Dance, One more Dance"..Jack didn't know what to do! Was just a brilliant performance from this crazy Dad and Son in festive attire. 

Our last act on stage was Tamsin Ball...Another powerful lady with a long and successful music career in front of her. Again a perfect mix of Christmas songs and covers. Last seen in the village at our Day Of The Dead festival and just as good. Tamsin is just bubbly and beautiful with the voice of an angel. What an icing on a superb Christmas cake.

What Christmas would be complete without Santa? Tamsin sung Walking In The Air, smoke bomb went off in the cinema tent and with a big puff of smoke out came Jovie Elf and Santa. Brilliant entrance!
They walked to the stage where Jovie got everyone to sing a Christmas Carol before stealing half of Tamsin's audience! The whole thing just worked, we had santa walking off with Jovie like the Pied Piper with a string of kids behind to the sound of Tasmins voice...Mystical and magical.

The night closed with the Big Sing..Westward Ho! Baptist Church, Holy Trinity Church, Bideford Brass band and the audience all joined together for carols on the Sea Front. Lead by Tim it was a really warming community event. The sound of the Brass band and carols being sung was just beautiful and a perfect cherry on the Ho! Ho! Ho! cake.
What a community here, what a festive evening, what a way to start Christmas.

Thanks for the evening go to-
The acts of the evening- Lettie and the Bean (Kevin and Collette), Manic Jammerz (Kurt), Yazzy, Tamsin Ball, Jack & Bodie Johns.
The entertainments team- Kate, Francesca, Peter
Steve for taking on the Father Christmas role for another year.
Alan Smith for use of the Beach Bar
Mags for sorting out the craft fair
Louise for opening the Beach Bar and making sure everything was sorted.
Westward Ho! Baptist Church, Holy Trinity Church and Bideford Brass band for the big sing.
Alex Hall, the Westward Ho! Business Association media team for the amazing photos. Please feel free to use any of these photos to publicize Westward Ho! or any of this content...All Royalty Free if used for publicity of the village.
Matt the Coastguard for helping to pack away and Rob helping on the setting up.
Torridge District Council for the New Homes Bonus grant that brought a lot of the equipment that makes the events so professional.
All of you that attended and made it what it was...Such a great vibe around the village, festive and jolly. 
Peter Sawyer for comparing the evening and organising the whole thing.
See you next year...On Christmas eve!

From Westward Ho! Business Association we want to thank you all and wish you a very merry Christmas...See you at out next event...New Years Day Dip, 10.30am on the prom/beach.