Singing in the rain…

IT wasn t the Rivers of Babylon, but rivers on the M1 that nearly made Boney M miss the Champagne Picnic at Little Easton Manor on Saturday. Organisers found themselves having to do a last minute schedule shuffle as the headline act, who were travelling d

IT wasn't the Rivers of Babylon, but rivers on the M1 that nearly made Boney M miss the Champagne Picnic at Little Easton Manor on Saturday.

Organisers found themselves having to do a last minute schedule shuffle as the headline act, who were travelling down from Birmingham, found themselves caught up by delays caused by flooding in the Midlands.

Alan Goldsmith, event organiser, said: "It was a very close thing. We had to bring the fireworks, which normally finish the evening, forward to before Boney M came on stage."

The rain had already played havoc with the setting up of the popular event with the soaked ground meaning trucks bringing equipment onto the venue could not get onto the site.

"I have to say that, without the help of local farmer Mr Perry who pulled the PA truck onto the site with his tractor, the show might have to have been cancelled," said Mr Goldsmith, adding: "I'll be sending a bottle of champagne to him. He was an angel."

An auction for charity raised £4000 for the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity with one person bidding £1600 to have the chef from The Starr in Dunmow cook a meal for six in their own home.

Mr Goldsmith said the crowd were amazing, getting up and dancing and not letting the rain get in the way of having a good time.