By Leicester Mercury | Posted 31 May, 2016
More than 200 people from the Leicestershire business community dressed up in ball gowns and black ties for the latest in a series of charity events
The Inaugural Lord's Taverners Balloon Debate, held in Leicester Cathedral on May 19, is expected to raise around £20,000 which will be split between LOROS, the Lord's Taverners, and Leicester Cathedral.
The event saw three speakers attempt to win the approval of the audience, who voted to keep their favourite contestant from being thrown out of an imaginary fast-sinking hot air balloon.
Guests were asked to imagine they were in the midst of the Battle of Bosworth with Richard III realising the battle was not going his way.
Above the battlefield a hot air balloon is starting to fall.
In the basket are four 'icons' who each say they are the one to rescue the king.
But the balloon can only land safely with one person in it, so the three less convincing contestants get thrown out.
After welcome speeches by the Very Reverend David Monteith, Dean of Leicester, Ian Guyler, chairman of East Midlands Lord's Taverners and boss of business consultancy Pedigree Filbert, and King Richard himself – aka local actor Martin Bell – the balloon was plummeting.
The contest got off to an unusual start when former Leicestershire and England cricketer Paul Nixon and George Chuter, the former Leicester Tigers and England rugby player, announced one of the four contestants had already dropped out.
Labour politician Derek Hatton had cried off with a damaged knee.
This left comedian and actor Nick Hancock to fight it out with former Conservative MP Angela Knight CBE, and historian and TV journalist Caroline Aston.
Mr Hancock kicked off the debate as fictional footballer Roy of the Rovers, arguing he was best placed to save the king.
Then Ms Aston put a different and saucy slant on Florence Nightingale's attributes for the job and Ms Knight put forward a very convincing case for Richard III's mother Cecily Neville.
After character assassinations, vigorous questioning by Mr Nixon and Mr Chuter and a lively debate, Ms Knight's Cecily Neville was crowned the winner.
Many local businesses supported the event.
Total Motion was the main sponsor while Pochin, Leicester Racecourse, Howes Percival and The Miller Partnership supported various elements of the evening.
Mr Guyler said: "It was yet another example of how powerful 'hashtag' Team Leicestershire is becoming – where businesses work together to promote Leicestershire and its innovative events and benefit from promoting these events.
"We are really pleased with the quality and entertainment value from this event and look forward to working with the cathedral again on next year's balloon debate."
Simon Hill, managing director of Total Motion, said: "We were delighted to support the Balloon Debate at Leicester Cathedral.
"The Lord's Taverners is a cricket charity which just happens to be my favourite sport and events like this ensure that the benefits of our fund-raising are seen at a local level through their programmes for young people.
"It was a fantastic event and we have already reserved our seats for next year."
The Lord's Taverners is the UK's leading youth cricket and disability sports charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged and disabled young people.
