Banburyshire villagers organise pop-up pub crawl to help mark 18-year-old's birthday

Villagers pulled off a memorable birthday lockdown celebration for a Middleton Cheney 18-year-old as he enjoyed a pop-up pub crawl to mark the milestone day.
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Volunteers from the group 'MC Virtual Celebrations' helped make sure Wednesday May 13 was no ordinary lockdown day for Toby Stevens.

Toby enjoyed 30 stops around the village at pop-up pubs ranging from the Wilde Arms and The Moth Man Inn and a final stop at his home.

Toby's mother, Kay Stevens, said: "I think for Toby it was special to find out so many people cared enough to go to so much effort."

Toby StevensToby Stevens
Toby Stevens

One woman in the village decorated her front garden and the outside her home with printouts of Toby's paintings.

Kay added: "She called it Toby's Tavern. People put so much thought into it. Somebody actually built a little bar for him to sit at in their front garden.

"It was so memorable for him in so many ways. Somebody said it takes a village to raise a child, well they really did it here."

Kay Stevens and her friend, Ceri Vessey Wilding, started the group, MC Virtual Celebrations, as a way of helping make sure people in the village still had a way of celebrating their birthdays.

Toby collecting a drink at one of the celebratory stopsToby collecting a drink at one of the celebratory stops
Toby collecting a drink at one of the celebratory stops

The group has organised local birthday celebrations for two 80 year olds, a 75-year-old and several children. The group now organises three to four birthday celebrations a week.

For children in the village a treasure hunt is organised complete with decorated houses along with the way.

Kay said: "Little clues are left from one house to another and there's often a little gift left outside some of the houses too."

Another one of Kay's friends, Suze Smith, even dresses up in an inflatable dinosaur costumer for the birthday celebrations, which was specifically requested for the 75 year old's celebration.

Toby's Tipples was also organised at another stop around the village of Middleton CheneyToby's Tipples was also organised at another stop around the village of Middleton Cheney
Toby's Tipples was also organised at another stop around the village of Middleton Cheney

Kay took to social media to thank her community for making Toby's day a memorable one.

She said: "The boy really enjoyed his virtual pub crawl... 30 pop up pubs all across the village..... Amazing. What an amazing community!

"I have been a little preoccupied recently, and my youngest's 18th was looking like being a total wash out........ Then Ceri Vessey Wilding, from MC Virtual Celebrations stepped in with a brilliant idea- a virtual pub crawl!

"Thirty families turned their front gardens into makeshift taverns. He declared it the best birthday ever! Thank you MC from the bottom of my heart!"

Toby makes another stop on the pop-up pub crawl around the villageToby makes another stop on the pop-up pub crawl around the village
Toby makes another stop on the pop-up pub crawl around the village

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