2023 Christmas Charity Ball | Hampshire

As the 2023 season came to a close, it was time for us to dust off the ball gowns and DJs as we head to our end of year Christmas Charity Ball.

This year we decided to head into the New Forest and reserve Burley Manor for our guests. Burley Manor is an architecturally stunning baronial-style manor house set within an eight-hundred year old estate and surrounded by rolling countryside and Burley Park, New Forest – a red deer sanctuary.

This year our party was Casino Royale themed. More on that later…

We reflect on the evening…..

The crisp December air swirled around Burley Manor, the grand estate nestled amidst the ancient oaks of the New Forest, its gabled roof dusted with the first kiss of winter snow. Inside, the echoes of our laughter still lingered, ghosts of a Christmas party etched into the very fabric of the Manor.

Imagine the festive glow that had warmed the stone walls, the fragrant garland of cranberries and pine that snaked along the bannisters, and the twinkle of fairy lights that had kissed the exposed beams of the Great Hall.

Remember the long oak table in the barn, groaning under the weight of a Christmas feast fit for kings & queens. The clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversation mingled with the joyous music filling the dancefloor, their melodies weaving through the very air we breathed.

The party may have ended, fading into the night, but its magic still lingered within the walls of Burley Manor.

So let the echoes of that night continue to resonate, a whispered promise of next year’s festivities, another chapter in the club’s ever-evolving tale of Christmas cheer. May the halls of Burley Manor forever hold the laughter, the warmth, and the magic of Christmas past, present, and yet to come.

Here’s a small random selection of our guests. Apologies, we couldn’t feature everyone as there were too many!! You will find your featured photos at the bottom in the main galleries.

In previous years we have always celebrated those winners from the previous year. However, due to the timing of this year’s ceremony, we decided to celebrate the winners of both 2022 and 2023 on the same night.

To announce the winners this year, we were delighted to be joined by Jill M, partner to club member and organiser of the Christmas party Andy M.

2022 Winners

• Andre Noir Loyalty Points | Winner – Paul J
• Andre Noir Loyalty Points | 2nd Place - Jason H
• Andre Noir Loyalty Points | 3rd Place – Colin B

• Hendy Performance Photographer of the Year – Michael Guy

• MAP Financial Outstanding Club Contribution – Jenny BC

2023 Winners

• Andre Noir Loyalty Points | Winner – Neal H
• Andre Noir Loyalty Points | 2nd Place – Mark P
• Andre Noir Loyalty Points | 3rd Place – Andy P

• Hendy Performance Photographer of the Year – Stephen Doody

• MAP Financial Outstanding Club Contribution – Mark Houldridge

Thanks to our wonderful sponsors, partners and club members, we had an outstanding array of auction lots and raffle prizes available to be bid on this year. Let’s take a look at the list of auction lots:

1. Bespoke Supercar Artwork | Courtesy of M&A Coachworks
2. 18 Hole 4 ball at Cranleigh Gold Club | Courtesy of Vizion Insurance
3. Hand made leather vintage look bag | Courtesy of John Paddock at Vizion Insurance via client and club friend Jan Gerring
4. 18 Hole 4 ball at Chelsfield Gold Club | Courtesy of Vizion Insurance
5. A week private charter of a boat in Greece inc skipper | Courtesy of club member James Q
6. VIP Boat Show Experience for 4 | Courtesy of Sunseeker London Group
7. Overnight stay for 2 at the 5 Star Harbour Hotel | Courtesy of Harbour Hotel
8. 15 minute passenger hot lap in a Porsche GT3 RS | Courtesy of club member Neal H
9. 15 minute passenger hot lap in a Ferrari 296 GTB | Courtesy of Max Cuthbert Motorsport
10. Weekend break for 2 inc chauffeur in Liverpool for Beetles experience | Courtesy of Lets Make It Happen
11. Guest FMSC VIP Membership | Courtesy of FMSC
12. Heritage Tour of the Williams F1 Factory for two | Courtesy of the Williams F1 Team
13. Porsche Rucksack | Courtesy of Porsche Centre Portsmouth
14. BMW Classic Boardcase | Courtesy of Snows BMW
15. Hand made leather holdall in the FMSC colours with custom embroidery | Courtesy of Rocked-It Bespoke Bags
16. Weekend use of a McLaren GT | Courtesy of McLaren New Forest
17. Weekend use of an Aston Martin DBX 707 | Courtesy of Aston Martin Chichester
18. Stage 1 paint correction detail | Courtesy of ELH Detailing
19. Arsenal Champions League Tickets | Courtesy of club members Phil & Jane S
20. Supercar reveal video (Gold Level) | Courtesy of Colin B of Lets Make it Happen

Once the final hammer was down and all the raffle tickets had been sold, we had raised over £7,600 for our chosen charity Prostate Cancer UK . This brings our overall charity fundraising to over £23,000!

The theme for this year’s party was Casino Royale and whilst we are always black tie for our Christmas Ball, this time it was poker and roullete to accompany the Bond esque party.

Our guests were given a fist full of FMSC cash to spend at the tables. The person at the end of the night with the most cash was crowned ‘High Roller of the Night’. With a magnum of gold prosecco up for grabs, guests were going ALL IN!

A wonderful night had by all and one that will go down in the list of greats! That concludes this post-event blog and our season for 2023. We look forward to welcoming you all again in 2024.

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Photo Galleries

As always, thanks to the generosity of our volunteer Photographers, we have another batch of galleries for you to enjoy.

Please feel free to use any photos on this page on the strict understanding that you tag the photographer (please make an effort to check which gallery it is from) and tag our club @fmsupercarclub on any social channel.

You may wish to purchase high-resolution versions of these images by contacting the photographer directly.

Mark Houldridge Gallery

Social: @markhouldridge

Michael Guy Photography Gallery

Social: @michaelguyphotography

Club Member Gallery