Cheshire's first Maritime Ball launched by dashing navy officer

Lieutenant Joe Allan is hosting the first ever Cheshire Maritime Ball at the glorious Tatton Hall and Gardens, which promises fine dining with wine and port, a live band, DJ, stilt walkers, fire breathers, a charity auction, and much more.

His idea is to bring a slice of Royal Navy officer culture to the North, where the service doesn’t have such a large presence as in does on England’s south coast.

Originally from Altrincham, Joe signed up for a life at sea straight after sixth form at Wellington School in Timperley when he was just 17, and has so far visited four continents in his role, and has earned himself a commission.  

Inspired by great times had at military events in his career so far, his idea is to bring something of this back up to Cheshire, while at the same time raising funds for charities which have personal significance to him.

Tatton promises to be an excellent venue for a swish summer ball (Image: Joe Allen)

The event takes place on Saturday, August 3, an while it’s set to be a very formal affair with a black tie dress code for civilians and mess jackets for serving military personnel, Joe says if other Navy events are anything to go by, it’s bound to be a lot of fun.

He said: “Getting something like this started from scratch is a huge amount of work. It’s a massive event to undertake and there’s a lot of moving parts, but it was all my idea, and I’m fully committed to it.  

You don't have to be serving in the military to attend (Image: Joe Allen)

“I have a lot of personal motivation to make sure it’s a success. My stepmother is currently being treated for cancer at the Christie Hospital, so funds raised will be split between their charity, and the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity.  

“I have a couple of navy mates from the general Northwest area who are helping drive ticket sales, but we’ve also got people travelling up from Plymouth and Exeter to come.

“At the end of the day, the Royal Navy doesn’t have a massive presence up north, with all the main bases on the south coast. But I don't see why this has to be a barrier we can't overcome.”

Tickets for the Cheshire Maritime Ball on now on sale through Eventbright, and you don’t have to be serving in the military to attend.

Joe is also looking for a main sponsor for the event, and any businesses interested are invited to contact him.

He added: “The more serving personnel we can get, the better, but we’re also relying on members of the public being interested to make sure the event is a success.”