Leech & Co's 'Mutton Chop Melee' for Children in Need 2007

It was that time of year again, when we are asked to dig deep into our pockets.

The task was to better the event held earlier in the year, 'Tash-Idol' which raised £300.00 for Comic Relief 2007. In that event Five earnest gentlemen grew moustaches over the course of a week and raised as much money as they could for the charity, we had to do better second time around!

We therefore devised a killer idea, an idea to shake the staff to their very core, to unite one and all by a single vision, growing excessive facial hair for the good of under privileged children in the UK. The Leech & Co 'Mutton Chop Melee' was born.

The task was simple, participants would have to go unshaven for 3 long, itchy, hairy weeks. Upon the conclusion of the third week, on Friday 16 th November 2007, the day Children in Need 2007 was televised across the nation, the participants would have to shave to their Mutton Chop design of choice.

For those of you that are unaware, and have not had the advantage viewing the photographs, the Mutton Chop was a style of beard adopted by gentlemen of a far simpler era, of Victorian Britain. Some gentlemen have carried this style into the recent decades, Lemmy from Motorhead, Noddy Holder from Slade, the gentleman that played Quinn in Jaws (him that got eaten near the end), and several other fine examples of uber machismo! Here at Leech & Co, with 18 brave competitors, we had a notion of greatness.

So, the competition began on Friday 26 th October 2007. Participants were varied, there were Partners, Litigation Mangers, Accounting Staff, Solicitors, Litigation Executives, and thoroughly good old chaps. No women though, not that they were excluded. To all participants having shaved either the night before or that morning, three weeks without shaving would follow. Many men struggled, one dropped out after the first weekend, another fell by the wayside a week later in, those remaining, had a hairy mountain to climb, a mountain of scratching and odd looks. It was starting to get tough. Without sacrifice there can be no victory, and it was clear that the Mutton Chop Melee-ist's would sacrifice much before reaching their ultimate goal. The finest pair of Mutton Chops Manchester City Centre had ever seen!

Two weeks in, going into the final week, all 17 competitors were adorned with ragged untamed beards, some light, some dark, some thick, some sparse, some grey, some that seemingly started from the waist and several startlingly ginger in colour, which for the non-participants in the office, was somewhat disconcerting.

The final day approached, when ALL competitors would have to shave to their Mutton Chops, and things started to get a bit competitive. It was mooted that one of the participants had arranged a Victorian Costume, this sent a shockwave through the Mutton Chop Melee-ists are caused a hive of activity. Everyone wanted that edge, it was simply a question how far they would go!

The final day arrived, the first chance to shave in three weeks! Heaven for some, pain and discomfort for many. One slip of the razor, and the most elaborate of intended Mutton Chop designs would be ruined, there would be no recovery.

With 18 gents having started three weeks earlier, 16 arrived on the morning of Friday 16 th November 2007 wearing their Mutton Chops with pride and many of them also dressed in proper Victorian costume. We had about three Sherlock Holmes, all costumes hired from the Sherlock Holmes Costume district in the Northern Quarter. Four of the gents were dressed as if characters from Oliver! Two of the partners were also dressed in this manner, one looking like a well to do gent about town (Mr Dow) and the other looking like he managed a stock of bag tails (Mr Hartley)! We also had two 'convicts' and one gent that had dyed his Mutton Chops pink! Lastly, there was a Scottish Guard (emphasis on the Scotch insofar as consumption was concerned!)

A golden Mutton Chop parade was arranged on the Friday morning. Then the voting forms were handed out, at £1 each, we raised in excess of £340 from your votes alone!

Finally, during a nervous luncheon for the Mutton Chop Melee-ists in the Manchester Christmas Market on Albert Square, only Chris Power knew the results. On returning to the office, the results were announced.

The title of Best Mutton Chops went to Partner and resident bag tail runner, Peter Hartley. The title of Worst Mutton Chops went to Solicitor and Alabama trucker look alike Andrew McVerry. Finally, the title of Gent that most oddly suited their Mutton Chops went again to Partner, Peter Hartley.

The Mutton Chop Melee was a huge success! So far, from in-house donations, our website devoted to donations which remains open for 6 months, and other extremely generous donations, we have raised in excess of £1,000.00 for Children in Need 2007, and counting! For further donations, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/peterhartley where all further monies will be gratefully received by Children in Need 2007.

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