Nostalgia Saturday MAY 30 - For Page 8 - Use 4 pic 140 word template

Text for Saturday Lead on charity shop events

Headline: Electric piano session in blindfold drew attention to charity shop and raised £1,000

Strapline: Mayor and rugby league stars raided their wardrobes to support appeal for winter clothes

WHEN a town centre has plenty of charity shops it takes something a bit different to get yourself noticed - such as an electric piano session played in a blindfold.

Keith Hetherington was able to donate £1,002 to NCH Action for Children after a 90-minute music session at the charity's shop in Dalton Road, Barrow, on Saturday, November 6 in 1999.

The Mail noted: "Customers were treated to an extensive repertoire of old-time music hall, serenades and light classical music."

Mr Hetherington said: "I quite enjoyed it and a lot of people were really supportive."

The Barrow NCH shop was the first in the county and the 38th in the country when it was officially opened in June 1998 by Barrow TV actor David Barber.

In 2002 the Barrow branch of the charity Imperial Cancer Research had a queue of people ready to join a national campaign to collect winter clothes that were no longer needed.

The appeal was called a Wardrobe Amnesty and was launched on January 15 by Barrow mayor Pamela Smith with support from rugby league stars Phil Atkinson, Cliff Beverley, Andrew Henderson and Dave Clark.