Anger as Mayor's Ball heads for disaster

What was planned as a prestigious occasion to boost the charity fund-raising campaign led by the town's first citizen is within an ace of cancellation.

Only seven of the 20-a-head tickets (plus 5 for buffet) have been sold within the Town Hall for Town Mayor Cllr Peter Fairhurst's planned Mayoral Ball in aid of Bexhill Diabetic Group next Saturday.

Diabetic group chairman Jack Jackson has sold another 20.

The lack of response has left both the Town Mayor and the group chairman puzzled.

Using his old showbiz contacts, Jack Jackson had booked the John Haffenden Band, which plays regularly at the Dorchester and Park Lane hotels, for the event plus singer Pauline Daniels.

Jack says: "Ticket sales are so bad that if they haven't improved dramatically by Monday we will have to cancel.

"Even then I am still losing nearly 3,000 because I will have to pay the band and Pauline Daniels.

"I don't know about the pavilion hiring because I didn't handle that but there could be another 500 lost there.

"I just don't understand it. When Cllr Bill Clements was mayor and staged a ball for us we sold 400 tickets.

"I am just disgusted with the lack of support from the mayor's Town Hall colleagues.

"I would have thought this event would have sold well, being Centenary Year. After all, this is the 100th occasion."

The mayor says: "I feel that, from my point of view, the mayoralty has been going exceedingly well.

"Wherever Valery and I go as mayor and mayoress we are welcomed and well received. People keep saying we are doing a wonderful job.

"But it seems it is all superficial. There is no substance to it.

"A few councillors have bought tickets. Others have told me they are coming but haven't bought tickets yet.

"We need to sell about 200 tickets just to break even.

"I feel that Valery and I are doing a good job. People certainly say that we are appreciated but I don't know what this means in practice.

"I am disappointed. There has also been very little response to my idea of a centenary year group picture.

"When Jack Jackson did a mayoral ball with Bill Clements a few years ago it went like a bomb and on the strength of that we decided to do this one.

"At this rate, what little bit of good we have been able to do so far for the Diabetic Group will be wiped out.

"Jack is all for cancelling now. I said wait a bit.

"But we will have to pull the plug on Monday if ticket sales don't improve dramatically."