It was a night which had everything. Glitz and glamour, every seat taken, fabulous gowns from Shropshire’s own designing star, humour, pathos and plenty of well-deserved applause.

The celebration at Shrewsbury’s Theatre Severn marked 25 years of Hayley J’s Shrewsbury-based business and salon, with about 100 magical ball gowns and wedding dresses presented in a fast-moving montage of colour, music and style.

Hayley’s much loved Jack Russell, Bentley, had a couple of star spots accompanying the male models – except that he absolutely upstaged the guys!

And identical Bayston Hill triplets Leah, Laura and Micha Jackson, aged 12, were real show stoppers – three little beauties for the price of one.

As the icing on the cake, the whole evening was a bumper money-raiser for the Hope House children’s hospice. And the final round of applause came when the hospice’s Vanessa Thomas announced a profit of more than £8,500.

The little star of the evening was Ellie Ashley, a wonderful eight-year-old who is a Hope House regular. She loved her new role as a model and was wheeled round the stage in her chair and a fabulous, pink meringue dress made especially for her by Hayley.

The evening, jointly sponsored by Fabricius Green, Claremont Skin Clinic, Hatchers Solicitors and Barclays Bank, as well as the Shropshire Star, had started on a delightful high with 11-year-old Grace Turner telling the Hayley J story in fairytale style. And it ended with a thrilled audience going home after a memorable evening.

In between, the fashion extravaganza was breathtaking – from fabulous eveningwear to wonderful wedding gowns bound to make every woman feel like the most special bride of them all. As well as local girls, her celebrity clientele has seen Hayley J’s gowns appear in top glossy magazines.

The night had been five years in the planning and Hayley, who heads a fashion team which has done Shropshire proud, could have sold twice as many tickets. And using her big anniversary to boost Hope House funds was true to character for a great county contributor.

The modelling team included brides who travelled from all parts of the country to once again wear their own wedding dresses which had been designed by Hayley J.

By Shirley Tart