The final round up!

I know! It’s almost three months since Miles for Smiles took place. At least it’s still 2009!

Why the delay in rounding off this blog and telling you how much it all made? There are many reasons; the final resolution of the auction lots took longer than I had expected – one was duplicated and one was sold on; I hadn’t anticipated that money would still be coming in by way of sponsorship and donations for the 500 miles Challenge – even now; I over-committed for October and November; and I didn’t realise how tired I’d be after the event. Also, I had wanted to have got round everyone who helped to thank them all personally before posting a general thank you but I am only about a third of the way through that process. If you haven’t heard from me directly, you will!

So what happened? Here’s a short report.

For a selection of photos from the day you can go to - www.gallery.me.com/robin.garrett/100041.

The 500 miles Challenge

Over 2,000 people took part in the Miles for Smiles 500 miles Challenge with one person or one team starting the same one mile route at the EICC every minute from 11.10am until 7.30pm. Lothian and Borders Police Pipe Band kicked off at 11.10am and throughout the day various well known faces took part including The Proclaimers, Fred MacAulay, Ian Rankin and his son, Kit, Kaye Adams, Nicola Sturgeon, John Swinney, Edi Stark, Colin McCredie and his daughter Maisie and Sir Tom Farmer. Many young children took part with their parents and older children came with their school friends. There was lots of colourful fancy dress and quite a few very physically challenging miles eg on roller skates, on stilts, human wheel barrow, juggling and three, four and five legged miles. Two friends of mine, Brian and Gillian, did a whole mile on space hoppers and couldn’t walk properly for days afterwards because their thighs were so sore! There was a superb atmosphere which was really added to by the series of young bands which I had playing in Festival Square all day. The early morning was dark, wet and windy – but from 11.10am the sun shone all day!

Lynne Cadenhead very kindly provided 12 Scottish Quest games (specially branded for Miles for Smiles) as prizes for the best 12 miles. In no particular order, they were won by: The Henderson Family, David and Sophie Morton, Mark Tungatt and Callum, Nick Abram and 7 soldiers, Alix Meekison, Centotre, Kilsyth Rotary, Jordanhill School Choir, John Sinclair, Duncan Wallace, Fettes Prep School, Fettes Senior School.

Alex Salmond couldn’t come on the day but he did his mile on the Wednesday before the event – with Miss Scotland! Everyone who did a mile signed a giant Saltire which was pre-signed by Sir Sean Connery as patron of the event. The Saltire, covered in 2,000 signatures, is now hanging on the main office wall of the 500 miles Centre in Lilongwe, Malawi - see the photo! I took it out with me when I visited Malawi in November.

As well as being great fun, the 500 miles Challenge well and truly washed its face financially because a lot of the people who did miles collected sponsorship. As I said, money is still coming in. Better than that though, I have had lots of emails and notes saying how much people enjoyed taking part – so I think I’ll probably do it again – but not with a ball for 730 on the same day!

The Miles for Smiles ball

Having said that the ball went off very well and it did raise a lot of money! The Proclaimers were the headline act. The dance floor was full from the minute Craig and Charlie came on and with 730 guests, it felt as if the building was going to take off! We also had a fantastic set from Jim Diamond and more dance music from The Full Tin Tin who, as an amateur band who play for charity “for fun”, were brilliant. Fred MacAulay was as entertaining as he was professional and made everyone relax and get into the spirit of the evening. The EICC produced an outstanding meal, especially considering the numbers, and Nick Nairn demonstrated the cooking of part of it with a lot of humour - and patience!The auction was remarkably successful given the times we are living in – raising about £90,000 – and as a result of wonderfully generous donations from some very kind people, I was able to offer a substantial prize for every table in a free prize draw. So there was lots of fun and variety and I think that helped secure a few donations and commitments on the night.

Total raised

Including the profit from ball ticket sales, donations, sponsorship for the 500 miles Challenge, One Smile commitments for the next five years and Gift Aid, the total amount raised by Miles for Smiles is close to £250,000 - with money still coming in.

Obviously this gives me a lot of comfort that my commitments to 500 miles’ three supported projects can be fulfilled but it is also enough money to allow me to consider a fourth project - which I hope will be a brand new prosthetic and orthotic clinic in Mzuzu in the north of Malawi. Please have a look at my updated website at www.500miles.co.uk for up to date news about the work of 500 miles and some new pictures of some of our patients.

Thank you!

Miles for Smiles was the result of the generosity and kindness of literally hundreds of people - too many to name but you know who you are – and so do I! Thank you!

The Bands

A week today these are the bands that will be playing in Festival Square, all of them giving their time and talents to Miles for Smiles for free. Thank you!

11.00am The Escape

11.25am NeoN

12.00noon Jed Milroy

12.35pm 108iotta

1.10pm The Dischords

1.50pm Jakil

2.55pm Hunter

3.55pm Hunting for Melvin

4.30pm Hold the Suspect

5.10pm Run Lucky Free

5.45pm Beluga

Finish – 6.30pm

Auction prizes (that's Ally in the photo!)

Last week I went to Blairlogie, near Stirling to go over the auction lots for the ball with Ally Logan – my brilliant auctioneer! I have not actually seen Ally or his wife, Carole, since he did the auction at the last (and only other) fundraising event I did where he broke a few records. Ally is a livestock auctioneer and his style is very different from Sotheby’s – which is just what we need!

Ally and Carole’s two charming daughters Natasha and Corrina were sent to the playroom while we decided on the order of the lots over egg and ham sandwiches and Carole took notes!

These are 10 of the 12 lots.

Auction lots for Miles for Smiles

Breakfast with Lorraine at GMTV

GMTV, Lorraine Kelly and Starwood Hotels and Resorts

Lorraine invites two of you to breakfast with her after a tour of the GMTV studio and a behind the scenes look at the programme in transmission. You’ll meet some of the GMTV famous faces as well as the team behind the cameras and you’ll see how the programme is put together.

Since you’ll have to be up quite early, you’ll be staying overnight in London in a room at the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel but if you are happy to wait until it has been completed, you can stay at the first “W” hotel in the UK (expected completion August 2010).

M&S Christmas Dinner for 8 served by the M&S development chef

Marks & Spencer

This is not just any Christmas dinner. This is an M&S Christmas dinner!

M&S’s Development Chef, Blair Smethurst, has put together the ultimate M&S menu. For 8 people, it includes an exciting selection of canapés, a three course meal with all of the traditional seasonal components and classics that M&S is famous for, mince pies, champage, wines and after dinner drinks.

You can serve this extravaganza yourself at any time from November until 5^th January 2010 - or if you would prefer, Blair will come to your house and cook and serve the meal himself on any Saturday in November or on Saturdays 5^th or 12^th of December 2009!

Prestonfield Dinner served by Andy Irvine, Kirsty Wark and Fred MacAulay

James Thomson, Andy Irvine, Fred MacAulay and Kirsty Wark

Enjoy a delicious dinner for 10 guests in one of the sought after private dining rooms at Prestonfield.

Following a champagne reception with canapés, you’ll enjoy a magnificent four course dinner accompanied by wines chosen by James Thomson from his own private cellar.

Your meal and drinks will be served by the glamorous and witty dream team, Kirsty Wark and her kitchen bitches, Andy Irvine and Fred MacAulay who will later join the company.

A “piece” of the Canny Man’s

The Canny Man’s

Immortalise yourself by naming a smorrebrod sandwich or an ice cream on the Canny Man’s menu. Rename an existing sandwich – Number 69, El Duque, could be yours! – or create a new one in consultation with Gloria. You could use your own first or last name, or your partner’s or both of your names or your children’s – or something else altogether.

The only other way to achieve this status is to be a member of the Kerr clan!

Six of you can have the naming ceremony for the smorrebrod or ice cream at the Canny Man’s with a magnum of champagne and a round of your new sandwich or ice cream.

Advance bids have been invited on the Canny Man’s notice board and the highest bidders may join the auction by telephone.

From Jolomo to you

John Lowrie Morrison

Own your own exquisite piece of art, “Wee croft Lochdon Mull”, personalised with an individual message to you from the celebrated artist himself. The painting is 9” by 9” in a gilt frame under glass.

Diamonds and their stories are forever

Alexander McCall Smith & Hamilton and Inches

“Old drawers, rarely opened, contain all sorts of mundane bits and
pieces: letters from forgotten friends, old bills, dud batteries,
banknotes brought back from foreign holidays, paper clips, half-filled
notebooks; they seldom contain small packets of diamonds." So starts Alexander McCall Smith’s short story, “Unfinished Business” about the diamonds at the centre of this lot.

You can bid for a packet of 27 brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of 2.93 carats and a total retail value of £6,500 (including a half carat brilliant cut diamond worth £1,500) and have them worked into a piece of jewellery of your imagination and design* by Hamilton and Inches’ craftsmen in their unique workshop in George Street, Edinburgh.

But you will also be bidding for the original manuscript of the story behind these diamonds. This story has been specially written by Alexander McCall Smith for 500 miles to explain how the diamonds came to be in Hamilton and Inches’ possession and available for auction tonight.

Alexander McCall Smith will sign the original manuscript and the packet in which the diamonds are discovered in the story and he will visit the Hamilton and Inches workshop with you to see what you decide to create.

Alexander McCall Smith has given the publishing rights of the story to 500 miles and the story will be published.

With their own provenance in fiction written by one of the world’s leading authors, the piece of jewellery these diamonds become, will be a unique collectors’ item.

Advance bids have been invited on the Scotland on Sunday website and the highest bidders may join the auction by telephone.

* Within limits!

Rebus 20

Ian Rankin

In 2007, to commemorate 20 years of Ian Rankin’s world famous Edinburgh detective, Inspector Rebus, the Orcadian Distillery of Highland Park bottled a 20-year-old single cask malt whisky called “Rebus 20”. Ian Rankin selected the cask himself. Only 150 bottles of this limited edition malt were poured of which a few were given to Ian. He has four left. You can bid for one of them tonight. Ian will personally sign the bottle for you tonight.

This is a once only chance to buy a piece of literary and malt whisky history.

A cathedral to Scotch whisky with Ian Rankin

The Scotch Whisky Experience and Ian Rankin

A unique opportunity for 6 guests to enjoy a tasting of some of Scotland’s most sought after whiskies in the unforgettable surroundings of The Scotch Whisky Experience next to Edinburgh Castle.

The tasting, conducted by whisky expert Julie Trevisan Hunter, will be hosted by Ian Rankin in the opulent surroundings of the whisky vault which houses the World’s Largest Collection of Scotch Whisky. Glass lined walls encase a glimmering and bewildering selection of almost 3500 unique and individual bottles. The whisky vault was purpose built for the arrival of the stunning Diageo Claive Vidiz Scotch Whisky Collection and was opened by the First Minister on 1^st May 2009. It has been admired by thousands of visitors who have made heir own “whisky pilgrimage” to enjoy a dram in this unique setting.

The tasting will run for approximately 1 and 1/2 hours and will include 4 Scotch whiskies.

Jeff Bland at One Royal Circus with a special mystery guest

Jeff Bland, One Royal Circus (Mike and Susan) and a special mystery guest

Entertain 16 clients or friends with a spectacular night to remember at the sumptuous and stylish town house, One Royal Circus, Edinburgh.

Michelin-starred chef of Number One Restaurant at the Balmoral Hotel is offering his services for one night only at One Royal Circus to design, cook and serve a wonderful tasting menu for you and your guests which will be served to you round one large table. All appropriate drinks will be provided to your taste.

There will be a very special guest at your table whose identity will be revealed at the ball.

Zambia - two ways!

Miranda Curtis, Farside Africa, Robin Pope’s Nkwali Camp, Island Bush Camp, Eight Reedbuck Hotel and 500 miles

Two of you will fly business class from Heathrow to Lusaka.

Part of this unique trip is a week long safari holiday in two camps, Nkwali (4 nights) and Island Bush Camp (3 nights), in the Luangwa Valley which is one of the last unspoilt wilderness areas in Africa, and a wonderful wildlife sanctuary. Its 9000 square kilometres of ox bow lagoons, woodland and plains host huge concentrations of game including elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion, giraffe, hippo and over 400 species of birds.

The other part is an optional opportunity to volunteer at (or just to visit) one of the rural destinations in Zambia in which 500 miles is involved. This part of the trip can be as long as a full week or as short as you like. We will tailor the volunteering opportunity to your talents and aspirations. It could be around health, education, physical work – or something else.

You can choose the order in which you enjoy your dual Zambian experience. Within Zambia you will be flown between destinations in 3 to 6 seater planes which is a breathtaking experience in itself. Before your business class flight home, you’ll spend a night in the Eight Reedbuck Hotel in Lusaka.

All bed and board is included but the accommodation when staying in a remote rural location could be quite basic.

You might buy this lot for yourself and partner/friend/child – but would you also consider buying it as a once in a lifetime experience for your children in a gap year or summer holiday – or as a prize/reward for a youth competition?

Must be taken in May or June 2010 with at least 8 weeks’ notice.

Writing the place cards

While Katie is packing the 730 goody bags, my Mum and Dad will be painstakingly hand writing the 730 place cards!

We’ve decided to go for just Christian names!

Fortunately the lists of guests at each table have started to come through so he shouldn’t have to do more than about 80 a day.

Thanks Mum and Dad!

Flower power

The flower arrangements for the tables were finalised this week. The tables will have Leith’s standard white linen but all of the tables will have a runner across thenm made out of the same colourful African cotton hat the goody bags have been made from. It’s mainly cornflower blue - which is one of the Miles for Smiles colours.

The vases, which will be set on the runners, will be plain glass and low. Half will be round like a gold fish bowl and half, rectangular. The flowers themselves will be wound round the inside of the vases and very simple: a single protea flower which is the national flower of Malawi and two stems of thistles representing Scotland – and some bare grasses. This was Charlotte Kissack’s idea and I really like it!

Planet Flowers have done me a huge favour in providing the flowers and their service at less than cost. I am really grateful for that Rachel!

Invitations are out!

I was delighted that the EICC was able to get the invitations sent out to table hosts and organisers today along with advance notice of the auction lots.

I am really pleased with the invitations and place cards which have been designed by Design Links – now becoming Thinktastic Creative. Andrew McKay, the designer, has adapted the design of the Miles for Smiles website to create them both. We had talked about doing something to signify the joining of Scotland and Africa – using an echo of the thistle and protea flower arrangement but it became clear that simple was best and that we should be using the great work that Andrew had already done.

That’s the invitation in the picture. The place cards have the 500 miles and Miles for Smiles logos on the front where the names go and there are four different backs with a different set of moving figures along them.

The invitations and place cards were all printed for Miles for Smiles free of charge by Digital Print Solutions. Thank you David Selkirk!

Katie and the goody bags.

There will be at least 730 people at the ball – that’s a lot of goody bags and a lot of packing!

My friend Katie Morton volunteered to do this job months ago – when it seemed like a day’s job and quite fun. The reality of 730 of several items, some quite big and heavy, being deposited on your door step hit home when we saw what 730 vouchers looked like and how heavy they are!

The goody bags themselves are a gift from 500 miles - see my blog of 12^th September - but this is what guests will find inside the bags:

A bergamot & geranium boxed organic soap OR a “just grapefruit” shower gel – Arran Aromatics

A £20 off voucher for Austin Reed – Austin Reed

A £20 off voucher for Country Casuals – Country Casuals

A £20 off voucher for Viyella - Viyella

A bottle of original or pear cider - Magners

A packet of Percy Pigs or reverse Percy Pigs – Marks & Spencer

A caramel log and a caramel wafer - Tunnock

A CD – Real Radio

A £10 off voucher for Cheynes Hairdressing – Cheynes Hairdressing

A special offer from One Spa – One Spa at The Sheraton Grand Hotel

While 730 bags of Percy Pigs sounds quite good to me (keen to see what reverse Percy Pigs are like), the sheer volume of all this stuff is not a joke. More than 60 boxes of 12 bottles of cider is daunting.

Hoping that the bags themselves arrive from Malawi by the beginning of next week, the plan is to bring in some reinforcements and get everything bar the bottles packed by Thursday night. Robin will then collect everything in a van including the cases of bottles and bring it all to the EICC where we can then add the bottles to the bags.

I hope Katie is still smiling at the end of this……