On Monday 22nd October 2012, Camelot announced that the National Lottery had now created 3,000 millionaires and to celebrate the fact, they organised a private party at the Cutty Sark in Greenwich for some of the lucky winners.
My weekend started on the previous Thursday (18th) when I did some filming for Camelot at Brinsley Animal Rescue Centre. Last Christmas, I donated £500 to the centre, and will do so again this year. Camelot wanted to do some filming with me at the centre to show some of the good deeds Lottery winners do with their new found wealth.
I was at the centre for around three hours filming with owner Beth Hewis, along with some of the animals there, especially a hedgehog and Willow, a recently rescued Welsh pony.
Click here to read about Willow
The following morning it was time to head to London for the party. We travelled first class by train from Alfreton station arriving in London at 12:15. After an hour on the tube and Docklands Light Railway, we arrived at our hotel, the Four Seasons at Canary Wharf.
After settling into our rooms, the party of around 200 met for sandwiches and press photos. We all had our own photos taken and there were several group shots.
At 18:30, we boarded a Thames Clipper which took us on the short journey to Greenwich Pier from where we strolled to the Cutty Sark. The gala reception was held underneath the newly restored ship and we had an excellent three course meal. Entertainment for the evening was provided by Stacey Solomon (pictured below).
After the event, we returned to the hotel by a privately chartered Thames Clipper and most of us headed to the bar for drinks well into the early hours.
After breakfast on the Saturday, most of the party headed home, but Sandra and I stayed for another two nights. We visited the Natural History Museum, Harrods, Stratford, Canary Wharf and Greenwich before returning home on the Monday after an exhausting, but very enjoyable London break.