ANYONE out for a late walk in Coleford last week could be forgiven for thinking time had gone back 30 years, as a stream of almost 200 revellers in brightly-coloured 1980s costumes and ‘big hair dos’ paraded through the streets.

The first ever Great Oaks Hospice Moonlight Walk proved a vibrant success, and organisers and walkers who covered the five-mile circular route are determined to make it an annual event.

“It was a brilliant night, full of fun and colour, and the event raised around £2,000,” said hospice fundraiser Debbie Hutchinson.

Coleford didn’t quite know what had hit it as around 160 women sporting ‘big hair’, tutus, shell suits and neon costumes, marshalled by 25 helpers, set off from the hospice at 10pm on Friday, June 8.

The ‘fabulous’ throng descended on the town centre, where takeaway and pub owners and customers donated generously to the likes of colour fully-attired St John’s Primary School staff member Paula Fulthorpe.

“You don’t say no to someone like Paula, especially when she’s wearing 1980s gear,” said Debbie. “It was a fabulous scene all round, a real riot of colour, with one group of girls dressed as Baywatch, complete with surfboard, and one of the marshalls, Tony Hardy from Monmouth, dressed in pink with a Wham mullet.

“Everyone really got into the spirit, and the girls said it was so much fun, they didn’t even notice the miles-to-go signs.”

The route took them through the town centre, then out to Broadwell, Mile End, Five Acres, Christchurch and back to the hospice to the finish and tea and cake.

“There was a bit of competition to get home first, which happened about 11.30pm, but everyone finished within about 10 to 15 minutes of each other, and the atmosphere as they ran down the path to cross the line was superb, with everyone high-fiving and having a great time,” added Debbie.

Around 20 walkers from Lucozade Suntory Ribena’s Coleford factory did the walk, while the firm, which is supporting Greak Oaks as one if its charities of the year, provided drinks and goody bags.

“We had one walker, a friend of Paula’s from Bedford, while more locally, people came from Monmouth, Chepstow and Ross,” said Debbie. “And they were all saying we’ve got to do it again.

“It was a busy weekend, seeing off a 100-mile charity bike ride at 7am next morning, the rescheduled Berry Hill Secondary and Royal Forest of Dean Grammar School reunion, attended by 180 former pupils, on Saturday night, which was postponed because of snow in March, and the Great Oaks family Cycle Ride at Mallards Pike on Sunday morning.”

Last weekend also saw the Greak Oaks fête, while things are not about to let up, with a 12-hour dance-a-thon at the hospice this Sunday (June 24) from 9am to 9pm.

“The dance-a-thon’s been organised by Stephanie Mills and Fusion’s Shelley Gwilliam, with Pete Stead as DJ playing all the music on vinyl, and people can dance for as long or as little as they like,” added Debbie.

For more details, see Greak Oaks’ Facebook events and moonlight walk pages.