Out of the Saddle charity dinner gallery

Hellaby Hall near Rotherham, South Yorkshire was the venue on Saturday November 1 for the sixth Out of the Saddle Charity Dinner fronted by the Downing brothers, Dean and Russell.

This year the chosen charity to be supported by the fund-raising effort was the local Western Park Cancer Charity, which raises funds for cancer research and patient care and support at the Western Park Hospital in Sheffield, one of only four dedicated cancer hospitals in England.

On the night, just over £10, 000 was raised from the various auction items, raffle and ticket sales.

Visit www.wphcancercharity.org.uk for details of how you can donate.

Full house

Dean Downing's hairy legs are noted from the start of the evening.

Dean  and Russ get the evening underway with the help of MC Joe Fisher.

To raise awareness and support the evening's fundraising, Out of the Saddle club members Jack and Dan Stephenson were there. They had ridden the London to Paris charity ride earlier this year to raise money for the Western Park appeal as they have a personal connection to the charity with their father currently a patient at the hospital after suffering from bowel cancer. Sarah Cross the hospital's charity representative was also there to thank Dean, Russell and the Out of the Saddle committee for choosing the charity to benefit from the 2014 dinner's fund raising efforts.

Sarah Cross explains the background to the Western Park Cancer Charity.

Over 200 people attended the function on Saturday evening with invited guests introduced by the evening's MC Joe Fisher. Those included James Shaw, the junior 2014 winner of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Het Nieuwsblad who will join Lotto-Belisol's development team for 2015, Ben Swift of Team Sky who was third at Milan-San Remo this year and local legends, Chris Walker and Malcolm Elliott.

Malcolm Elliott with Dean Downing

Chris and Jess Walker

James Shaw interview

Matt Stephens' alter-ego Kenny Van Vlaminck was brought up on stage to give some very amusing nutritional advice to the Downing brothers and talk about the "Oats of the Saddle" amongst other things.

Kenny Van Vlaminck's advice may not have been taken seriously

Carol and Mark Barry win a 'his and hers' Festina watch each in the dinner ticket raffle. Donated by Andy Barron (second left) of Festina watches.

Joe Fisher, who many will have seen and heard at the Tour of Britain stage finishes and Tour Series venues whipping up the crowds, did an excellent job of auctioning off the evening's auction lots which included David Millar's POC helmet (shown above) worn at the Worlds and signed by all the GB team, Laura Trott's world champion jersey, prints by Rich Michelson and Al Heighton, a Team Sky jersey signed by the Vuelta team, Chris Hoy's Worlds skin suit and one of Russ Downing's Glasgow Commonwealth Games jerseys.

Rich Michelson's one-off print of Wiggo World TT Champ 2014.

Laura Trott's World Champs jersey

John Smith sports the NFTO kit he bought in the auction.

Tour KOM jersey signed by the ITV4 crew.

With Dean Downing having retired this season after July's Sheffield GP there was a special presentation later in the evening to say one last farewell from the peloton. Deano's leg hair was noted and there was a special leg waxing interlude which was eagerly taken up by his family members who donated generously for the privilege.

Ouch

Marc Etches is thanked by Russ and Dean Downing for helping with the organisation of the event.