Cena MMXIX Aurora Borealis
The original brief, when the ‘Northern Lights’ event was first launched in 2014 was:
‘A social event for the Midlands and the North’ to kick off the Club Calendar for the New Year.
In true Maserati Club fashion, the seventy two places on the 2019 Northern Lights Dinner were quickly taken up. Most people also booked rooms at the venue – Rookery Hall Hotel and Spa, or stayed nearby.
New Maseratis were available for test drives on the Saturday afternoon, courtesy of the Maserati Dealership H R Owen.
There was a fine selection of Members cars lined up outside the main entrance, in what would have been the courtyard of the original mansion built in 1816, overlooked by the ‘French Chateau’ tower that was added in 1867.
The Hotel offered a good range of facilities – swimming pool, sauna, steam room and gym plus Spa treatments and massage.
Pre-dinner glasses of Prosecco (courtesy of Autoshield Maserati – thank you Marios) and a variety of canapés, were served to our Members in the private bar.
Club Chairman John Bennett welcomed everyone, thanked the organisers, congratulated Lorraine Sparrowhawk and presented her with the Vera Cooper trophy – a very striking silver angular rosebowl – now an annual award to a lady for her contribution to Club events. In this case for the Maserati Club Stand at the Classic Motor Show stand at the NEC.
It was also mentioned that Sarah O’Shea had been assigned the role of ensuring new Members to the Club were given a warm welcome to such events. Michael O’Shea and Sarah could be seen doing just that frequently during the evening.
The food was excellent and the service swift and efficient. Red and white wines were on the tables and complemented the food perfectly.
After the meal, the band ‘Hard Candi’ provided the music and proved, as at last year’s event, that they are professional, musical, talented and certainly know how to get people on their feet.
The private bar proved a quieter haven for friends old and new, if they wanted to carry on their conversations about cars, food and the finer things of life.
I speak on behalf of everyone who attended to say ‘thank you and well done’ to Robert Crooks, the Kriticos family and all who helped make this year’s Northern Lights Dinner, literally, a dazzling and sparkling success!
