After a double booking and last minute race to find a replace- ment spider Itsy Bitsy the Chilean Rose Tarantula raised eye- brows as well as temperatures during a sponsored Tarantula hold on Saturday June 19th in Wallingford. Deputy Mayor Imran Lokhon, Former Mayor Lynda Atkins, seven girls from Cranford House Girls’ School in Moulsford, and Footsteps fundraiser Polly Gibson braved the hairy Tarantula for one minute each. Mem- bers of the audience were also invited to hold Itsy Bitsy, a 93 yr old lady made the trip especially to hold Itsy, and one young lady only agreed to do it if £50 was pledged by her husband! Even the Mayor of Wallingford Bernard Shaw joined in the fun by timing the event and even having a little hold himself. Former Mayor Lynda Atkins said “ Itsy and I got on so well I held him for longer than the designated minute, I wanted to prove a point to all those who doubted I could do it”
The group raised over their target of £1000. A big thank you to Itsy Bitsy and his handler Carol Jones & to the Corn Exchange, Wallingford for the use of their Auditorium.