An evening at the races to mark Henry’s 21st

Turning 21 is a major milestone in most people’s lives, and many will cherish lifelong memories of how they celebrated this special birthday. Thanks to the creative flair of his mum Zoë, Henry Harrison is unlikely to ever forget his spectacular coming-of-age party on June 30, 2018.

“I realised that this party was going to end up being as big as a wedding so we would need to start planning everything in good time,” said Zoë. Preparations duly began in July 2017, with Zoë and Henry batting around ideas and looking to Pinterest for inspiration. The family live on their working farm at Thirkleby Wold near Sledmere, East Yorkshire, and initially considered themes linked to their livelihood but drew a blank.

“We wanted to do something fresh and new. Henry and I both love parties and knew we had to create a memorable experience and give everyone a good time,” Zoë added. “We hit on the idea of ‘an evening at the races’, which was a bit strange as we don’t even like horses! My husband hated the idea but nobody else in our circle of friends had done it so we went ahead with it.”

There was no question over the venue – the family would clean out their own large agricultural shed and hire a marquee company to line it out and transform it into a superb party space. Zoë said: “We approached two companies for quotes, including Village Farm Marquees, which had been recommended to us by friends and family.

“Price-wise they were about the same but we were really impressed with Tony and Chrysta, the added-value extras they offered, and their attention to detail. We checked out their Facebook page and website and liked what we saw there too.”

Taming the beast

With the catering, bar and band booked but still lots more to do, Zoë realised the event was “turning into a beast”. Chrysta introduced Zoë to party planner extraordinaire Helen Davies to help relieve some weight from her shoulders in both final-stage planning and on-the-day co-ordination. “I knew exactly what I wanted but I work full-time and the extra pair of hands was a godsend,” Zoë said. “Helen had lots of additional contacts that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about and she was a massive help on the day. It was really reassuring to have her there to pick things up.”

Guests were given an inkling of what to expect when they received their invites to the black-tie party in the post, which contained car parking passes and members’ badges – the same as would happen ahead of a prestigious race day. Other authentic touches included hurdles and furlong markers along the driveway up to the farm, racecourse direction signs, a finishing line, ‘Welcome to the Harrison Gold Cup’ banner, the Winners’ Enclosure, and a life-sized model of a horse!

And they’re off!

The first race started at 7pm with cocktails in the glorious evening sunshine on the lawn, served by Louisianna’s Bar staff dressed fittingly as jockeys. Inside the marquee, guests mingled at the Royal Enclosure and County Stand, enjoying drinks from a glitzy circular bar and also Gilli’s Gin Tin.

Lee Cowell, of Louisianna’s Mobile Bars, said: “We created a refreshing raspberry gin cocktail for Henry, the Brockman’s Breeze, which we served outdoors in the ‘Winners’ Enclosure’ area, and it went down a storm.

“The team really enjoyed dressing up in the jockey outfits, the whole thing looked amazing. The level of organisation that had gone into the party was incredible, and it was obvious the guests were enjoying every minute.”

A delectable dinner was served courtesy of Finer Catering, then, much to everyone’s amusement, Henry and his unsuspecting friends were asked up to the dancefloor to participate in The Gold Cup hobby horse race. After this the floor was packed with boogying bodies for the rest of the night thanks to live music from The Wave and disco courtesy of DJ Mike Defreitas.

Zoë said: “My husband Patrick turned 50 around the same time so we were celebrating his birthday too, although we kind of kept it under the radar.”

More than 160 people attended the celebration, mainly Henry’s friends and also family members and friends from the local area. “The atmosphere was absolutely buzzing. I think guests noticed all the attention to detail, we had some fabulous feedback and received some lovely letters of thanks afterwards,” added Zoë.

“All our suppliers were fantastic. They delivered everything when they said would, everything worked out brilliantly. They went above and beyond what was expected and nothing was too much trouble. Village Farm Marquees, the Louisianna’s bar staff, and Lisa the caterer all did an amazing job.

“Lydia the photographer really caught the whole mood and feel of the evening from start to finish, ensuring those memories are captured for all to enjoy.”

Lisa Anderson, of Finer Catering, specialises in gourmet-quality catering for weddings, large parties and balls. Lisa, who’s based in Driffield, cooks everything herself and all dishes are freshly prepared. For Henry’s celebration, she started with game terrine, using pheasant breasts supplied by Zoë and Patrick from their home shoot, with cranberry and port sauce. Next came warm rare sirloin of beef (from Zoë’s friend’s farm) with hot buttered local new potatoes; tomato, mozzarella and basil salad; Yorkshire pea, avocado, and mint salad; and broccoli salad. For dessert, guests enjoyed a trio of tarte au citron, baby fruited meringue, and a chocolate shot, then helped themselves to tea and coffee and an English cheeseboard.

Lisa said: “The time and effort that went into creating this party was clear to see, it was fantastic. The little touches like prize rosettes for name places and the VIP parking passes were brilliant.”

Anyone wanting to book Lisa’s sumptuous services will need to plan ahead though, as she has very limited availability for 2019 and is now taking bookings for 2020!

A helping hand

Event planning is more than just a job for Helen Davies, it’s a passion. “My role isn’t just about organising and scheduling,” she explained, “It’s about tuning it in to the client’s vision and desires and pulling together all the ideas to make it truly personal.”

Zoë was bursting with creative ideas for Henry’s party and Helen lent a helping hand with a consultation about six months before the celebration, as well as her final stage and on-the-day management service. “Chrysta recommended me as she knew I’d have access to precisely the kind of resources Zoë would need. I was able to put together a collection of suppliers to turn Zoë’s vision into reality,” said Helen.

“It was my responsibility to ensure everything was sorted in the two weeks leading up to the event so that Zoë wasn’t experiencing any stress and had me to lean on.”

Helen’s detailed timeline meant everything ran like clockwork and enabled Zoë to immerse herself in the party atmosphere and have a great time, knowing Helen was there to take care of things.

“The party was absolutely amazing, the beautifully lined barn created a huge space with a real sense of occasion yet it still had that feeling of being at home,” Helen added. “I was struck by the extent to which all the guests threw themselves into the horse racing theme, and Zoë’s finishing touches were simply stunning.”

Making memories

And what of the birthday boy, was it a night to remember for him? “It was everything Henry had hoped for and more,” said Zoë. “He’d been dreading giving his speech but he had a huge grin on his face the whole time. He enjoyed the build up to it and even tidying up the next day, when we were chatting away about the night and sharing memories. People are still talking about it now!”

Chrysta Newman, Co-director of Village Farm Marquees, said: “People might not realise that we provide linings for indoor spaces as well as outdoor marquees, it can be a great option if you have a building like Zoë’s barn that you can use.

“Henry’s party was clearly a night that their guests will remember for a very long time, and I’m sure he and his family will treasure their memories of it for the rest of their lives.”

Photos courtesy of Lydia Photography, www.wedding-photographer-hull.co.uk

To talk to Village Farm Marquees about your marquee needs, email info@villagfarmmarquees.co.uk or ring 01262 468160.