It’s that time of year again when we are all looking forward to Christmas. If we can we would all like to have a festive season with the minimum of financial outlay and the maximum amount of pleasure.

For many years now the Horrabridge Cavaliers have run a bottle auction. It was the brainchild of the late John Taynton. The object of the exercise is two-fold. Firstly it raises funds to be used for the good of the village of Horrabridge. It also enables villagers to stock up on Christmas drinks at knockdown prices. Despite the hardships of the past few years with both the Covid outbreak and the rising cost of living the event has proved both popular and successful. Last year it raised over £2,000 for the cavaliers’ charity account. 

The format is simple. Flyers are posted to every house in the village, inviting residents to donate a bottle. It does not have to be an alcoholic drink, soft drinks are equally welcome. Members of the Cavaliers then tour the village to collect the donations, with people’s generosity ensuring that well over 200 lots are normally up for auction, often containing multiple bottles. The event is held in the London Inn where the landlord kindly prepares the auction room with the auctioneer’s table and microphone and amble seating for the buyers. Sales are usually brisk with the whole stock cleared in just over two frantic hours. 

Often buyers put in an advanced bid for a particular lot of their favourite tipple, which allows the auctioneer to speed up the selling process by starting the asking price higher than it might have been had the reserve bid not been placed. Several villagers have become regular customers and come prepared to make sure that their Christmas stock is completed. It is a fun event as everyone enters into the spirit of the evening (no pun intended). 

The Horrabridge Cavaliers has now been in existence since September 1977. It is a open to any male in the village over the age of 18.  Its aims are twofold. Its first objective is to act as a support organisation for both individuals and organisations in the village. This support can come in a variety of forms. It might be a cash donation to provide much needed equipment for a youth organisation. It might just be giving a family a helping hand. It has supported the village by running quiz nights and providing a BBQ at numerous village events. All the money generated by these means goes into the Horrabridge Cavaliers charity account. The group is not a registered charity but its accounts are independently audited each year in time for the annual general meeting which is held in January each year.  The second aim is to provide fellowship for the members. Naturally the group has a social side to its activities; It meets on the last Friday of each month.  These activities are financed by the group who have their own members’ fund to pay for any social events such as skittles nights and an annual Christmas dinner. 

Over the past 46 years over one hundred men have been involved in its activities. Sadly many have now left us but the two founding members are still in the group. The bottle auction is the major fundraising event of the year. If you want a fun packed evening then it is not to be missed. 

Horrabridge Cavaliers Bottle Auction takes place on  Friday, December 15  at 7 30pm  in The London Inn Horrabridge.