Live Music By The Lake

Sun, Aug 26th 2018 at 11:30 am - 5:30 pm

The day that "Picnic to the Music by the Lake" became "Rockin' in the Rain".

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Despite appalling weather Senlac Rotary’s annual music picnic raised nearly £1400 for the Friends of Fia and other local good causes. The club’s annual music picnic took place on Sunday, 26th August in the garden of Rotarian Pat Connor in Westfield Lane, St Leonards. This year the theme was changed from Jazz to 60’s, 70’s and 80’s music and became “Music by the Lake” although it may have been more appropriate to call it “Rockin’ in the Rain”. As the audience arrived so did the rain which gradually increased in intensity throughout the afternoon. The weather didn’t put off a brave and hardy crowd who enjoyed the music by the popular local group, “The Rockitmen” who were well supported by the up and coming Hannah Brown and Gabriella Hill. But the rain eventually won the day and the music stopped with just over an hour to go. The success of the day was marred when strong evening winds developed after the event destroying a number of Senlac Rotary’s gazebos. It is thought up to a third of the bases and over a half of the canopies were destroyed. Organiser of the day, Rotarian Marcia Bryant, was delighted and amazed by the support, “It was a great relief that the event went ahead. I can’t thank enough the people who braved the weather and supported the day. They all enjoyed themselves and to have raised a £1000 in such conditions was amazing. I’m just so sad and gutted about the damage to our gazebos”.

There will be another “Music by the Lake” picnic next year on August Bank Holiday Sunday, August 25th at Westfield Lane and the Rockitmen again be the main artistes.

The club owe a huge thank you to Marcia for taking on this event and making such a success of it. Well done, Marcia. We must also thank Pat Connor for all his support as well as providing the venue, and to all those who helped before, during and after the event.

Note about Friends of Fia
Five-year-old Fia Kent, from Westfield, has Alexander Disease, an extremely rare disorder of the nervous system. It is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease that mostly affects infants and children. Fia’s mother, Lian, said her daughter was diagnosed with the condition in April 2016.
Soon afterwards Friends of Fia was set up by the community in Westfield to help Fia’s family. Money was raised to allow the youngster and her family to go on a dream holiday to the USA. It was there that Fia visited a hospital in Philadelphia where a huge research project is under way to try and find a treatment for her condition.

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