A POPULAR party event will be celebrating its 30th anniversary in Bournemouth this year.

The Black Ball will be held at the Pavilion on Saturday, December 2.

The Black and White Balls events have consistently sold out through the years.

The concept started in 1993 when two friends Helen Baillie and Dave Bradley, decided on throwing a party to celebrate the summer solstice in June.

As interest in the event grew, the pair decided to book the Pavilion in Bournemouth which then went to sell out within four weeks.

The White Ball was so successful that they held another event in November, and the Black & White Balls were born.

Helen said: “The White Ball was so well attended that we kept receiving requests to organise another one before Christmas.

“We therefore planned another date, called it The Black Ball and found that the initial circle of friends had been dramatically expanded.

“People enjoyed the first one so much that they came back and invited other friends to join them. “This meant that there were not only lots of familiar faces, but lots of the new ones too.”

When Dave Bradley moved away from the Bournemouth area, Helen took over the day-to-day management of the events.

With Helen running a successful business and a growing family, she decided to run the events on a an annual rather than bi-annual basis, dropping The White Ball in the process.

She then went on to team up with party and dance events organisers David and Val Rokov.

The event always features an array of entertainment and attractions including a casino, karaoke, live band, party DJ, bucking bronco and fairground stalls.

Tickets are available to book online or in person from the BIC and Pavilion box offices or at https://www.theblackandwhiteballs.co.uk