Ice Fantasy Ball in the Gem Appeal, Manchester Central

Reindeer, snow, ice skaters and even a polar bear were among spectacular elements which put razzle dazzle into a winter Ice Fantasy Ball hosted by one of Cheshire’s most high profile celebrity couples.

Actors Denise Welch and Tim Healy pulled out all the stops when they staged, with the help of local events company Entertainment Today, an extravagant tenth anniversary charity ball at Manchester Central, formerly G-Mex.

The Alderley Edge couple helped to raise £150,000 for The Gem Appeal charity which funds research into genetic and metabolic disorders. Rochdale mother Karen Johnson launched the appeal after her sons were diagnosed with the rare Hunter Syndrome.

Among the celebrities embracing the chill factor with Denise and Tim were Carol Vorderman, the cast of Loose Women, stars from Coronation Street, Waterloo Road and Emmerdale, to name just a few.

Local band The Overtones were among musicians who entertained.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN COCKS

Leanne Brown and Nick Malenko

Denise Welch and husband Tim Healy arrive in style

Tina Trett with Susan Evans, Lisa Edwards, Dale Burkinshaw, Christine Oakes and Sandy Jones

Jennifer Lonergan, Becky and Karl Pemberton, Vienna McMahon and Laura Wilding

Snooker star Dennis Taylor and wife, Louise

John Dryden with Sharon Bowen

Nicky McQuaid with Phil Stones, Laura McQuaid-Jones and Debbie Graham-Arnold

Ice Fantasy Ball

Luis Martin, Louis Healy and Solomon Page

Actor Angie Lonsdale, meets anamatronic polar bear

Rowena Finn and actor Chris Bisson

Billie Williams with Coronation Street’s Sue Cleaver, Jayne Gilbert and Ann Marie McLintock

Waterloo Road actor Chris Geere, and wife Jennifer

The Overtones

Denise and Tim in eye-catching white outfits

Singing trio ‘U-neeq’:Megan Rowe, Thea Kate and Nicole Stones

Ice Fantasy Ball

2010 Dancing on Ice winners Hayley Tamaddon and Dan Whiston

Dave Vitty (aka Comedy Dave) and Natalie Whitehead

Carol Vorderman and Cornation Street’s Sally Lindsay admiring the GEM Appeal calendar

Ice cream girls: Olivia Bryan, Louisa Critchlow, Jo-Anne Bayley, Julie Mears, Natalie Mills and Kirsty Lownds

The print version of this article appeared in the January 2012  issue of Cheshire Life 

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