Sometimes through all the dark clouds and rain there is a glimmer of sunshine.
Recently, we were extremely lucky to be invited to an exclusive ball in central London, it was all very last minute and was to take place in just under a weeks time on the night of Monday 10th August. We were told a dress would be made for Eleanor and all we needed to do was provide some measurements, her shoe size and stand by for further information about the location of the ball. Due to the host of the ball being Louis Tomlinson from One Direction, the location needed to be kept secret to prevent a million screaming One Direction fans from surrounding the place!
Following the invite everything went very quiet until Tim took a call late Sunday night telling us we needed to be at the Langham Hotel at 2pm the following day to have Eleanor’s dress fitting. We were also told to bring our overnight bags as a room had been booked for us too!
Monday morning flew by and we arrived at the hotel just after 2pm, met some other parents and chatted while the children who had been invited were given their dresses and suits to try on. Eleanor looked absolutely beautiful in her dress, it really was fit for a princess and expertly made by the team at Little Bevan. To top it off she had gorgeous sparkly silver shoes and a fairy wand with her name on it.
After the dress fitting we went and checked into our room for the night and quickly got ourselves ready so we could all meet in reception to be driven to the ball. The ball was to be held in Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum and we were told there were quite a few fans who had found out the location and were already lining the gates outside the museum!
When our car pulled up at the Natural History Museum I could not believe the amount of people standing outside of the gates! Through the gaps I could see a huge red carpet lined with candles, the whole front of the building was lit up purple and there were fake paparazzi located at the top of the steps for the children as they walked up.
It was like a dream, people cheered as we walked along the red carpet and we all felt like celebrities for a few minutes – whilst I was trying desperately hard not to trip over my dress! When we walked inside it was red carpet all the way, just stunning.
After a champagne reception (and Eleanor having a little nap on me) the children and parents were taken upstairs whilst all the guests took their places at their tables. We then walked down a sweeping staircase, with Eleanor leading the way, down into the main room with everyone clapping and Louis standing at the bottom.
We had food, wine and fantastic entertainment. There was an auction where people were bidding unfathomable amounts of money for things like a T-Shirt that belonged to Harry Styles or lunch with Simon Cowell! The ball itself was funded by Louis and any money made on the night was given direct to a charity to enable them spread more magic and make more dreams come true for children who truly deserve a sparkle in their lives.
For us, the night was incredible, Eleanor met Louis and had a cuddle, she danced on the big stage singing ‘Let it go’ at the top of her lungs and was even serenaded by Ben Haenow – the winner of the 2014 XFactor!
So if you asked me, do I believe in magic?
My answer would be yes, a big yes!