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SINGING AND DANCING IN THE RAIN

The heaven's opened on the righteous last Friday when 200 children sang, danced, played, recited and acted their hearts out to raise money for BBC Children in Need in the Furlong Centre in Ringwood.

Despite torrential rain that threatened to wash away the Furlong Festival of Young Talent taking place under a tent in the Furlong Shopping Centre on Friday half term, the youngsters in true British fashion carried on regardless. In fact not one of the 40 different acts decided to give way to the elements.

The BBC filmed and recorded the show which ran non stop from 10 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. BBC Solent presenter Sylv Willoughby interviewed most of the talented young entrants while Pudsey bear splashed around in the puddles and joined in with the fun.

Said organiser Belinda Charlton "It was a fantastic effort against enormous odds. We have raised hundreds of pounds, but the final total will not be announced until the Children in Need Day on November 15th".

"I have enormous admiration for the children proving that 'the show must go on'. Their ages ranged from 4 year old Gideon Read who performed with Big Little Theatre to 19 year olds, but no amount of rain was going to dampen their enthusiasm.

"We had a competition asking the audience to vote for their favourite act. The winner was nine year old William Smith from Bournemouth whose singing reminded listeners of the young Aled Jones when he sang 'Walking in the Air' from 'The Snowman', runners up were the 40 children from the Ringwood Waldorf School who sang 'A Better Brighter Day' written by their teacher Sandy Daniels and Big Little Theatre School from Ringwood. The winners will receive Furlong Centre Shopping Vouchers.

Pictured from left to right are:

Left: 9 year old William Smith from Bournemouth who won the audience vote of the best performer at the Furlong Festival of Young Talent held in the Furlong Centre, Ringwood on Nov 1st. He sang "Walking in the Air" from The Snowman and is pictured being interviewed by Radio Solent presenter Sylv Willoughby. William wins Ł30 worth of Furlong shopping vouchers.

Centre: Picture of youngest performer 4 year old Gideon Read being interviewed by BBC Solent's Sylv Willoughby and Pudsey Bear for the Furlong Festival of Young Talent. As the youngest member of the Big Little Theatre School, Gideon delighted the audience and his mum by reciting a poem.

Right: Picture of Belinda Charlton the organiser of the Furlong Festival of Young Talent in the Furlong Centre with Pudsey Bear and some of the 200 children performing in the show. The Furlong Centre shopkeepers will continue to collect for Children in Need up until November 15th. There are collecting buckets in all the shops, plus the large pictured Pudsey Bear collecting box outside Frampton Mill.

From: Belinda Charlton: 01425 473813

All phone numbers are prefixed (01425) unless otherwise stated.