Two hundred ladies enjoyed a fabulously fun and festive afternoon at Formby Hall last Sunday for the St. Joseph’s Hospice Christmas Ladies Day.

Thanks to the incredible generosity of this year’s guests, the event raised an unbelievable £23,400 - the most ever!

During the day, a festive drink and sumptuous three-course lunch gave way to an afternoon of champagne, pampering, exclusive Christmas shopping and a great deal of dancing.

A real surprise was in store towards the end of the meal when the singing waiters took to the floor to serve desert before bursting in to song and putting on a show stopping performance.

Merseyside’s very own Pauline Daniels hosted the event; she kept everyone going on the dance floor and encouraged them to dig deep for the chance to win a range of stunning prizes, all in aid of the hospice.

DJ Jeff Wall then took over and kept everyone entertained throughout the afternoon with a wide range of hits from across the decades, which got everyone up on their feet and dancing.

Throughout the afternoon, a wide range of local businesses and talented crafts people sold Christmas gifts, treats, handbags and accessories, providing the perfect excuse to get started on Christmas shopping.

Laura Smith, fundraiser at St Joseph’s Hospice, said: “The atmosphere at this year’s Ladies Day was fantastic and many descried it as the best one ever, which we are really proud of. We really did kick start this year’s Christmas festivities and it was wonderful to see so many St. Joseph’s Hospice supporters all coming together to have a great time.

“I want to say a really big thank you to our main event sponsor, Investec; The Big Event Group, who supplied the singing waiters; our match funders from Barclays, Barclaycard, HSBC and Experian; and all the local businesses who donated money and prizes.

“However, the final word of thanks must go to all the ladies who came along on the day.

"Many of them support this, and many other hospice events, year after year and they all helped to make the day such a big success.”